Resident Evil: Operation Rebecca
by Forte0007X
Summary: A secret war waged between those that control the T-Virus and those who wish to destroy any trace of it is being fought all over the world. Now, an important member of the opposition to this deadly virus has been captured. Chapter 12 up!
1. Biohazard

Resident Evil:

_Operation Rebecca_

_To be, or not to be: that is the question:_

Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And by opposing end them. To die: to sleep;

No more; and by a sleep to say we end

The heart-ache, and the thousand natural shocks

That flesh is heir to, tis a consummation

Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;

To sleep: perchance to dream

William Shakespeare

Hamlet, Act III; scene I, lines 68-77

__

****

Chapter I: Biohazard

"So you've confirmed her whereabouts?" asked the man sitting behind the desk, closing the blinds. He turned off his lamp, as the room had enough light.

"Yes, our intelligence shows she is being held at Eagle Point, South Dakota. We're not sure if Umbrella or some unknown organization is holding her captive." The balding man standing in front of the desk wearing a gray three-piece suit pushes up his glasses and hands the report to his superior. "But we are convinced they have unleashed the T-Virus on the town. By the time we were surecertain members of the populace had already begun to show signs of infection. This was days ago. Now, the situation must be critical."

"Why would they capture a member of the old Raccoon City S.T.A.R.S. team and infect a town?" grumbled the man in the chair, leaning forward. "The Mansion incident was 3 years ago, could it be a possible vendetta?" He ran his hand through his slicked back brown hair and then heaved a heavy sigh from his stout chest, fixing his blue overcoat's buttons. "Well in any case, she's been providing us with information critical to combating Umbrella and the spread of the virus. We need to retrieve her immediately."

The man in gray coughed lightly at this. "Sir, it might be wiser to cut our losses. We don't even know if she's alive. It would be a waste of both manpower and firepower to go in and rescue"

"Even so!" interrupted the man as he leaned back in his chair, "There would still be the matter of those infected with the T-Virus and disposing of them. We'd need to check for survivors and find a way to destroy the town. We must eliminate any trace of the virus whenever and wherever possible."

"There is still the matter of manpower. We have very little to spare, as our forces are spread out across the globe. We could devote no more than four to six operatives." His glasses slipped down his nose slightly as he leaned forward. "It's impossible to execute this successfully with the numbers we are up against." 

The man behind the desk sat up straight in his seat. "Mr. Jeremiah, you do not know my agents, and do not question the possibility of _anything_ relating to our organization. We've been fighting these things since the virus was first unleashed. Just let me handle the operation, you go back to looking at maps and graphs. You are dismissed."

"Yes sir." said Mr. Jeremiah, as he sharply turned and walked out the door. He had no use for arguing with his hard-headed boss again.

The man pressed his intercom button. "Maggie, request for Colonel Axl. He is needed in my office."

The woman's voice beeped over the intercom in his office, "Yes Mr. Burton."

He heaved another sigh. "Don't worry Becky, we'll get you backI hope to God we can get you back."

- 

Groggily he opened his eyes, a teenager of the age of eighteen, and lifted his head from its face-down position on his pillow as he heard his name repeated on the intercom.

"Colonel Axl, report to Mr. Burton's office immediately. Colonel Axl"

He groaned and went to rub his eyes, sliding his arms over the sheets, only to realize his right arm was horribly asleep.

"Oh, come on!" he picked it up gave it a good smack against the table, "don't do this to me!" He sat up, after he heard his name on the intercom again. "Oh shut up! God how I hate Mondays." 

Axl took a look around the room, seeing everything in order as he had placed it the night before. Scratching his mess of brown hair, he noted the clock read 8:00 sharp, but hadn't planned on waking up till nine for his daily training. He pressed the intercom button next to his bed.

"This is Colonel Axl reporting. I shall be there in five minutes." He took another look around, his gaze falling on the rifle he left in the corner. It was an old M-14 he'd kept in good condition ever since

"Do not dwell on past lives, not now," he whispered. He put on his boots and threw on an over shirt over his existing t-shirt. The shirt was his favorite explorer-esque Levi's button down, but the small tears on the hem showed its age. Despite this, he could not once remember ever buttoning it up, and he wasn't about to break tradition. Added with his jeans and light brown hat, he looked like a modern cowboy. He had caught some heat for his fighting attire' before, but it didn't matter what anyone told him. He did things his way and it worked, and that was reason enough for him to keep doing it. Heck, he did things so well he made Colonel in a small paramilitary organization. 

The speaker beeped, with Barry's voice bellowing, "Damn it kid, get your rear in gear and move it!"

"Yeah yeah, I'm comin' old man." he mumbled to himself, and then pressed the button, "I'm on my way, sir!" in his best at attention' voice.

- 

Axl opened the large oak door with the glass pane insert bearing the name Bartholomew Burton' on it. He stepped inside, seeing Barry's chair turned around, facing out the window through the blinds. Axl moved silently toward the seat in front of the desk and sat down. On the desk, in a mahogany case with a glass top, rested a police-issue .44 magnum revolver.

"Sir, you called me?"

Barry spun the chair around to face Axl and tossed a photo of a girl on the table for his agent to look at. "Do you know who this is?"

Axl picked up and glanced at the photo. "Rebecca Chambers, former medic of the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo team. She was one of the survivors of the Spencer Mansion and has not been seen since." He casually tossed it back on the desk in front of Barry. "5' 3," light brown hair, brown eyes, blood-type AB, weapon of choice Beretta 9mm. She was a rookie at the time of the incident' on July 23, 1998 with no prior combat experience. Her credentials merited her inclusion in S.T.A.R.S. at eighteen, as she was highly educated in the medical field. I've read the files."

Barry took the photo and placed it back in a manila folder. "Heh, I'm impressed. You take your job seriously, cowboyShe's a good kid, she reminded me of my daughters and Chris of his sister during the trials that night. We all experienced things in that place no one should be forced to experience, but" he took a moment to reflect "She always let me know I had something to live for, a family back home to fight for."

Axl cringed a bit, his eyes unintentionally squinting. "I don't wish to be rude, but what is the purpose of my being here?"

Barry looked up at him, but was still caught in memory, an almost sad look on his face. After a moment he shook his head, bringing him back. "I'm sorry, I must be rambling in my old age. I have a mission for you." Barry handed the folder over. "Our intelligence shows that we have a positive T-Virus reading in a town called Eagle Point. The town has been heavily affected and we're not sure of any survivors."

Axl shifted in his seat while staring at the report, tightening his hands into fists as he tried to contain the welling rage. "Why don't you just deploy our Dresden bomb and burn the town? There's no need to get me involved if the town is dead."

Barry continued, "There is one reason we do not consider that option. That girl, Rebecca Chambers, has been located in the vicinity of Eagle Point. Though it may have seemed she had disappeared after the incident, she really has been working underground, gathering data and information on the movements of Umbrella. Without her, our organization of hunters would never have found half the test sites Umbrella has for testing its virus, not to mention the other dark associations with samples of the virus. She is essential to our cause, Colonel. We can't lose her."

Axl looked into Barry's almost pleading eyes, seeing through the gruff visage an acute worry for this girl's safety. "Do we even know if she is deceased or not?"

Barry shook his head, "No, we can't tell anything. But if there's even the slim chancewe have to take it. You're my best, Axl, and I know you can handle this; will you take the assignment?"

Axl looked back at the picture and then at the map of Eagle Point. He took a hard look at those photos. Someone in there was reliving a nightmare he knew all too well. "The mission is to go in, find Miss Chambers, confirm her status and evacuate her if possible." 

"And to rescue any other survivors down there."

Axl stood up. "What about destroying the virus?"

"There is no need to worry, let me handle that." 

His decision was resolute, and he spoke to the point. "Sir, I accept. I can deploy in one hour."


	2. Deployment

****

Chapter II: Deployment

Axl stepped out of the office, closing the door behind him as he turned to walk back to his room to get ready. His mind was preparing itself for the mission ahead, so he hadn't noticed the woman leaning against wall by the door.

"Hey Ax."

He turned to look and said, "Well good morning Alex, too early for your Ls'?"

She disregarded his statement, and looked straight at him. "So you're off on another mission, I see." 

"You aren't jealous, are you? The mission should be dangerous. I'll receive further briefing on the way."

She shrugged her shoulders, her black jumpsuit moving perfectly with her motions. "Pfft, why would I be jealous of you? If anything, I should be worried. I've read parts of the report they purposely left out; I took it from the guy with glasses. You haven't seen the numbers you'd be up against if you got stuck down there." She forced a laugh.

"Well that's the reason they called me and not you, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to get in my way this time." He began to walk past her, breaking eye contact.

Alex picked up her rifle she had placed against the wall beside her and held it out in front of him, stopping him for another moment. "Wait, Axl. Take this. You may need the firepower."

He stared at her again, but this time she wasn't looking back. For some reason he noticed how nice she looked in the morning light. The sun managed to filter into the hallway as it danced across her lightly tan face framed with her semi-long ebony hair. Her light brown eyes were looking to the side, she almost looked sad to see him go on this mission.

He laughed a bit and gently pushed the M-16 she held back to her. "What use would I have for that? A .223 won't do much against a Viral. The rifle is good against the living but not zombies; their physiology changes with the mutation of the virus." He moved her face with a soft movement of his hand, so she could look at him. His voice took a slightly harsher tone. "And against Tyrants, the round doesn't have the kick to bore through deep enough to cause serious damage. It's knowledge like this that makes me the superior hunter." He then turned to face the hall and resumed his walk back to his quarters, not allowing her to retort.

Alex put the rifle's strap on her shoulder and walked over to Barry's door, speaking softly, "Idiot, any Viral hunter knows it depends on where you shoot."

-

The room he had left less than fifteen minutes ago no longer had the restful feel it had when he awoke. He looked for his gear, his weaponry and special belt for holding items.

"I'm bringing all my artillery, Alex may hate me but she wouldn't lie to me about a mission."

He put on his holsters, keeping his favorite .357 revolver in his shoulder strap and his Colt .45 semi auto on his side. He could only carry three rifles, so he decided on his Benelli M1 tactical shotgun, placing it on his back along with his late father's M-14. He decided the third rifle should be his AK-47, still remembering his last mission and what it did to that group of MA-121 Hunters.

However, he still looked as if he wanted to bring something else. "This still won't be enough, even if I stock up on ammo. I'm taking Bolt Sword with me." He walked into his closet and hung on the wall was a sheath meant to hold a sword on the back. Above it rested a 32-inch longsword, made of lightweight titanium with a black handle and decorative carvings of serpents along its blade. He put the sheath on and slid the razor-sharp blade into its holding place. 

After taking as much ammunition he could carry along with four grenades and several provisions, he pressed his intercom and sent a message to the helipad, "This is Colonel Axl, have the helicopter fueled and ready for my departure."

The voice on the other end replied, "Affirmative sir."

He adjusted his hat; everything was ready.

It was time to rock and roll.

-

The steady beat of the chopper's blades cutting through the air filled the space within the helicopter. Axl held onto his hat with his left hand while holding his Kalashnikov rifle's strap over his shoulder with his right as he sat by the large open door. Mr. Jeremiah was sitting opposite Axl in the center of the vehicle, strapped in tightly, holding several documents.

Jeremiah spoke up, yelling over the blades, "Colonel! Your mission is to be dropped a half-mile from where Miss Chambers is allegedly being held. This town was fair in size and had a penitentiary on its far end, bordering the woods. We can't risk being any closer due to the risk of enemy military personnel guarding her, if any." He handed Axl a few papers, including maps with distinct markings for where the helicopter would drop him off and where he and Rebecca would rendezvous with it again. "Radio contact is strictly forbidden. You'll only have a window of 5 hours to complete this mission, so you have no time to waste, Colonel."

Axl remained silent and nodded, affirming Jeremiah that he understood.

Mr. Jeremiah then looked as if he remembered something. "I almost forgot! We've built a new device to check for T/G-virus infection." He produced a small gun-like device with a readout on the top. "Just stick this into a person's arm and let it draw a few drops of blood. Don't worry about sanitation, it self-cleans."

Axl took the readout and placed it in one of the pouches on his belt. He just looked out the door again, staring at the passing forest below. He couldn't make out anything specific in the trees, there were just passing streaks of green and brown under the shadow of the airship. Though the mission seemed set out well enough before him, something didn't feel right. He only hoped he could save Rebecca and complete his mission with as little difficulty as possible, but something told him it wasn't going to be that easy.

The pilot yelled back to them, "We've almost reached the city, ETA 5 minutes to the outskirts. There are some hills we'll pass over, so when we hit that you'll know we're close."

Axl gripped the strap of his rifle tightly, knowing it'll be what stands between him and the horror thirsting for his blood. He spoke up, as he thought of a way to ease him a bit before he went into combat.

"Hey pilot, could you play that tape I gave you? I could use some theme music."

The pilot shouted back, "No prob, buddy!" and hit the play button on the audio player by the controls. On came "All Along the Watchtower" by Jimi Hendrix.

__

There must be some kind of way out of here

Said the joker to the thief

There's too much confusion

I can't get no relief

Business men they drink my wine

Plowmen dig my earth

None would ever compromise

Nobody of this world

No reason to get excited

The thief he kindly spoke

There are many here among us

Who feel that life is but a joke

But you and I we've been through that

And this is not our place

So let us stop talking falsely now

The hour's getting late

All along the watchtower

Princess kept the view

While all the women came and went

Barefoot servants too

Outside in the cold distance

A wildcat did growl

Two riders were approaching

And the wind began to howl

Minutes passed in moments by the time they reached the rolling hills. Axl could see the buildings, mostly homes, fast approaching. But a half-mile before they reached concrete, a beeping noise went off in the chopper.

The pilot yelled back to the passengers, "RPG's! We're under fire!"

Axl peered through the other door as the helicopter swerved to the right to avoid a few rockets, seeing six paramilitary soldiers firing upon them, running out onto the field. A pair of vapor trails flew from two of the soldiers and headed straight for the helicopter.

"We're going to be hit!" the pilot yelled as he tried to dive but found it too late. A second later a shock jolted the chopper, after a rocket struck the back rotor and sent the vehicle into a spin.

The scenery flew by at blazing speeds as the helicopter descended at a rapid rate. Axl checked his watch and then held on tightly to the metal bar next to him as he braced himself for impact. 

"MercenariesGod I hate being right about these things" mumbled Axl.

The helicopter crashed and everything went black.


	3. Rough Landing

****

Chapter III: Rough Landing

Axl awoke with a start, shaking his head as the shock of the crash wore off. He got up and surveyed the helicopter; he was still inside and it was still daylight, which meant he hadn't been out for long. He quickly checked his watch, realizing it hadn't been more than a minute since they went down.

"Those guys must still be out there! Damn it, we gotta get moving!" he shouted, but then examined the body of Jeremiah, who had opened the back of his head against the metal behind his seat and was most certainly dead. He looked at the pilot, who began to groan.

Axl stood up, "Hey, you all right?" 

The helicopter pilot nodded weakly and responded, "I thinkI think I'm bleeding"

Axl went over to him and looked down, he didn't look so good. The helicopter had hit nose first and crushed the controls into this poor guy's lower body. Axl figured he couldn't say anything, knowing the pilot wasn't going to make it, but he tried anyway. 

"Don't worry, we'll get you a doctor! I just have to secure our position first." The pilot just nodded as he left the wreck and went to lie down a few dozen meters from the crash behind a few isolated rocks on the top of a small hill.

Just as he thought, all six of them were advancing and opened fire on the helicopter.

"By the look and sound of those weapons, those are M4 assault rifles they're using. " Muttered Axl. His statement was quickly followed by the screech of a twin volley of rockets slamming into the cockpit of the helicopter. The wreckage was completely destroyed. 

"And two RPG launchers, damn it they've got the latest weapons and most of my equipment could have seen action in the Korean War!" He removed his M-14 from its resting place alongside his sword and shotgun on his back. He leaned on the rocks and quickly adjusted the sights, estimating their distance from the crash site to be between 110-120 yards. Keeping his cool and breathing steadily, he fired repeatedly, gunning down four of them, including the two holding the rocket launchers. The remaining two soldiers got down immediately and answered with a hail of bullet-fire, forcing him down behind the rocks.

He peeked over again and fired several more rounds while the enemy stopped to reload but didn't manage to hit anything. He put his back to the rocks, clutching his rifle tightly. "I've fired seven rounds, I have eight left in this clip. They probably won't advance knowing I'm armed, but they'll fan out and have me cornered soon enough." 

He ran through a few options mentally, some involving jump up really fast and shoot' but they didn't seem like the best strategies. He then noticed the bullets were no longer flying, and didn't understand what was happening. Were they already moving to hit him from both sides?

"No, no that wouldn't make sense. They'd keep one to pin me down while the other comes from an angle." He decided to look.

The field before him where the two enemy soldiers once lay was now covered in blood. A pack of dogs stood over the bodies, tearing away ragged pieces of flesh from the corpses, occasionally fighting over parts. The four of them looked deranged and vicious, even from that distance. Axl stood in shock at the display and reached for his side-arm .45 but only gripped the holster. 

"What the?! Where's my .45? I must have lost it in the crash!" He checked his supplies quickly, noticing he was missing a number of AK-47 and M-14 magazines, along with his semi automatic. Nothing too tragic, his .357 ammunition was still intact - he had plenty of those along with a box worth of shotgun shells. 

The dogs were still eating by the time Axl had finished evaluating himself. Disgusted watching them feast even on enemies, he leveled his rifle, aiming at one's rotting flesh. He fired a clean shot, killing one of the dogs instantly. The others just ran off, not knowing where the shot came from. Axl didn't bother to kill the others and just lowered his weapon, looking now at the helicopter in ruins.

His silent walk to the scraps of metal was unbroken, as the hill had a low incline to the ship and there were no animals to make noise. It was as quiet as a tomb.

"May God rest your souls, your journey in this life has now ended." Axl knelt by the helicopter, closing his eyes as he prayed for the dead.

He could waste no more time here. If he didn't act quickly, more people – more innocent people – would die. He lifted his head and faced the quiet town of Eagle Point, placing his rifle on his back.

"Damn it Ax, you just had to get out of bed."

-

The air hung still as Axl walked over the stretch of field leading to the town, reaching the fallen mercenaries, first running into the two that were shooting at him only minutes before. They were in the worst shape, mauled to a point of being unrecognizable. The most evident wounds lay in their jugulars, which were completely torn out.

Axl squinted his eyes, "No wonder they didn't scream." 

The mercenaries were wearing black fatigues with no nametags or insignias to connect them to anything. He decided to check them for any useful supplies.

"Well this is a waste." He sighed as he failed to find anything useful. A few rockets might have helped, or at least some compatible ammunition. But unfortunately, they had used all of their rockets and their weapons took newer types of bullets than his own, and he wasn't about to carry another rifle.

Picking up the pace, he began to jog quickly, leaning forward to keep low in case of any surprise snipers left working for the enemy. There were no monsters in sight as he reached a large wall with the sign Welcome to Eagle Point' in wrought-iron over the top. The fence looked well taken care of, showing that this place hadn't suffered the affects of the virus until only recently. There was an empty guardhouse by the main road leading in.

Axl figured he should check it out, walking over and peering in, crushing the rim of his hat up while he pressed his face to the glass. The only thing noticeable was the broken television on the floor and the scattered newspaper next to a small desk. Axl opened the door and picked it up and realized it was yesterday's paper. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the TV was actually a monitor. He examined under the desk and found a series of video feed wires, leading from several large multiplexers, more specifically digital recorders. 

"This thing is way too high-tech for just a simple guard job, you could hook up over eighty cameras and check each with this monitor. Shoot, if this monitor wasn't busted I could see why a rent-a-cop would need such an advanced system to guard something."

Axl left the guardhouse and began to run down the main street into town.


	4. Berserk

****

Chapter IV: Berserk

It had been more than twenty blocks with no sign of trouble, but with each passing step Axl became more and more tense. He moved rapidly down the middle of the street, remembering from the map the route leading to where they believed Rebecca was being held, but didn't expect so easy a passage. He went as silently as he was able; the only sounds audible were his breathing and the click of his guns together on his back.

"Sheesh, everything has a freaky Andy Griffith' or a warped Leave it to Beaver' feel to itI hope this town gets more interesting soon or I'll die from boredom! Then again, if things get interesting I may die of something else" Axl tried talking out loud to quell any apprehension welling inside him, but he couldn't shake that bad feeling again.

The streets now were lined with dead trees, despite the fact it was well into spring. It was a sharp contrast to the green lawns of the homes, and the timber worked only to obscure some of his vision of the silent houses down the way. 

His loss of being able to see where a monster could be hiding added to Axl's growing anxiety; his focus dedicated to finding any disturbance in the stoic scenery. Everything was so intact, as if everyone had left the town, never to come back, leaving everything like a frozen picture in time. Something had to happen, anything! It was just too quiet! He then slowed to a stop, taking a look around.

"I have to sit down for a minute, I need a breather." said Axl, closing his eyes tightly as he pressed his palm over them and sat down by one of the dead trees on the right side of the street. The hike was getting to him. Axl had remembered a fellow Viral Hunter who had become deranged during a mission in the desert after driving for God knows how many hours in blank desert scenery and was found a week later dehydrated and wandering the Sierra Nevada. The dead view of this town was having the same affect on him. 

He shook his head. "Aww man! Usually I'm dropped in a war zone or something, but everything here is just so still! There isn't even a breeze for Christ's sake!" Axl looked up and down the street, seeing nothing. He leaned against the tree, taking a deep breath. As he exhaled, the sun's rays refracting off a metallic surface in the corner of his eye caught his attention: a bright red truck that had crashed into a house in reverse a few homes down lay isolated, and there seemed to be a figure inside.

Axl sprang to his feet, running up to the truck. He looked within, and inside sat a lone corpse, seated with its safety belt on. The key had been snapped off in the on position in the ignition, and from the looks of it, the truck had run out of fuel days ago. The belt held the body firmly to the seat as the decaying form's head hung limply over its right shoulder, the mouth gaping wide. Axl stepped back, closing his eyes and turning his head away.

Then suddenly the sound of glass breaking echoed in the street as zombies climbed from their former homes at the smell of human flesh. All down the street, monsters of unspeakable appearance in human form crawled from windows and through broken doors, or walked on their decaying legs toward the Colonel. The corpse in the truck came to life and struggled to break free, banging its head against the side window with ferocity. The moans of the damned filled the air, resounding in Axl's head as his eyes opened wide.

Axl continued to walk backward, remaining in a state of disbelief to what he was seeing. He had gone through many missions where he encountered situations like this, but

Something happened within Axl's mind as he remembered. A demon that had haunted him since childhood came back to life before his very eyes as he looked around him. His heart pumped, his adrenaline levels rose, his hair stood on end. The image he saw before him was exactly the way it was so long ago! Of all the missions, of all the settings, of all the monsters, this triggered it! He could not bear this memory reanimated. For the first time in his life as a Hunter, he had lost control.

His eyes flashed with a rage under his hat and he roared a bloody battlecry as he drew his broad longsword from its sheath. His fighting instinct took over as he ran to the nearest viral monster — the one trapped inside the vehicle — at blinding speed, carrying the Bolt Sword in his right hand. He gave another yell, even louder than the first, and with one swipe he slashed his sword through the top of the windshield of the truck, shattering it as he crashed his blade down through the driver's seat and out the bottom, cutting the zombie inside cleanly in half. He turned from the truck, the same look still in his eyes.

Axl kept mumbling to himself as he crouched, holding his sword with both hands, "II must save them"

He dashed over to a group of zombies and passed his blade through all of them in one large slash from left to right, their blood staining his sword, filling the crevices that created the image of the serpents.

"save them from this damned existence"

He jumped back, twirling his blade and driving it through another infected human behind him, the blade passing through. He pulled it out and dashed forward toward the hoard of zombies gathered in the street before him.

"from a fate worse than death"

He jumped high into the air, his sword raised above his head. He brought it down with both hands halfway into the one in front and continued forward, stabbing the one behind it through the head. He kicked them off the sword and killed another beside him with a harsh upward slash as the others crowded around him. He jumped backward to create more room.

"Die!" He yelled, lunging forward. He could not stop; he would kill them all and set them free.

-

Axl's blade glided easily through the last zombie's neck, decapitating it without a shred of difficulty. The body fell limp to the ground, its head beside it. Axl's berserk had died down progressively throughout the fight, but his heart still raced at this point. He took a few deep breaths and fell to his hands and knees, the fatigue of battle catching up to him. A few beads of sweat dropped onto the concrete beneath him.

"ZombiesI really hate zombies." he said between breaths. "That was a scary memoryIt had never been sobad before." He tried to force his breath to steady. "I'd never lost myself in a battle like that in the past, I always had power over it."

Axl moved to a seated position on his spot in the middle of the road, facing the path he had just cut his way through. The trail of zombies strewn over the road went for close to 200 feet. He closed his eyes, finally easing his heavy breathing, and reopened them. He brought his gaze on the sword that he still clutched in his right hand. The outline of the twin serpents battling on its surface was bright red, holding the blood of the slain in the small grooves to liven its artwork. It had been a special feature he thought of years ago when he asked it to be made.

Axl looked back up, the breeze finally blowing. The sun was beating down much harsher than he'd noticed before, but his hat still shaded his eyes from the light. After several seconds of looking back, he burst into laughter.

"WOO! That was FUN! At least things aren't so dull anymore!" He jumped to his feet, his energy renewed instantly. He spun his sword once and slid it back into its sheath and brushed the dirt off his shirt and pants. 

"Come on, Axl! You can't let every fight slow you down, you've got people to save!" He was now smiling, ready to just forget his bloody fight from mere moments ago and willing to press on with his task. However, there was one problem as he looked up and down the road again. He hadn't seen that intersection before.

"Which way was I going?" Axl said aloud. "Aha! The truck!" Axl looked down one side of the street and when he saw nothing, he ran to the other side and found the same.

This killed his mood quickly as he sneered, "Well damn it, I must have run onto a different street during all the fighting." he growled. "I'm so stupid, how could I have let myself lose focus like that? Great job, moron!"

He tried to think of another way to find his route, but after looking around he found no moss to indicate north growing on any of the trees and the time was, inconveniently, noon, eliminating the idea that he could tell east from west. Even the background was the same, with heavy forests and mountains in the distance. The oddest thing was the condition of the street signs, which were missing. Axl didn't think twice about it.

"Of all the damned luck I could run into! I could lose precious hours wandering before I get back on track!" Axl punched a tree, managing only to hurt his fist. "AH! Damn it! Freakin' tree!" Just as he was rubbing his hand and getting ready to curse the tree further, he heard another sound. It was a faint banging noise, followed by wood snapping.

He whispered, "What in the heck"

He heard a loud growl, and instantly identified what it was.

"Lickers"

Axl moved quickly between two homes, slipping through shrubs and over a wall stealthily in the direction the noises came from. Across the street he saw about a dozen pinkish zombies missing patches of skin encircling a home not surrounded by any structures but by a semi-large garden. 

Axl removed his shotgun from his back as he realized why they had gathered around the house. Someone inside was still alive.


	5. Unbroken

****

Chapter V: Unbroken 

The lickers clawed at the home's white-painted walls, tearing chunks away with their hands. They snarled and groaned, and hissed an unmistakable roar, looking for a way inside in their mindless hunger, banging windows and gnawing at corners. Many parts of the structure looked ready to break.

"Over here." The lickers turned their heads to the origin of the sound. Two shots rang through the air, followed by several unearthly shrieks as Axl unloaded his shotgun's shells into three of the creatures together by the bay window. He replaced the two spent shells with the efficiency of an experienced soldier, guiding them perfectly into the holding slot. The others turned and began to walk towards him, with the nearest leaping at him with its clawed feet. Axl stepped to the side and fired point blank at the monster, sending twenty ball bearings through the licker's decomposing body, killing it almost instantaneously as the blast threw it to the wall.

He moved fast, making a quick run around the house, using his shotgun to clear the area around. Many of the lickers were bunched together, making firing the shotgun at close range highly effective. He disposed of each as they came into view without hesitation, reloading as he ran between shots. Two others were rounding the corner by the front door of the two-story house as Axl headed for it. 

"I can't let them get inside!" he thought verbally. He stopped with a skid while firing two more shots and tried to turn the knob. It was no use; it was locked from the inside.

Having no time to spare with dangerous monsters all around, he stepped back and aimed the Benelli at the lock and blew the whole thing off. He kicked it open and ran inside, shutting it, pressing his back against the door. He had bought some time, but he knew there were a lot more left in the garden.

"Ok, that was nine shots in total, and I've only got three left inside. Better reload fast." Axl reached into one of his pouches and took out five shells while holding the gun firm in his right hand. He breathed in through his nose, keeping his lips tightly together as he tried to hold the gun tightly to his shoulder and began to load a few shells. But after placing several shells into the rifle, he slowed as he noticed the air carried a strong, acrid smell. His hands came to a stop once he noticed what was on the floor. He looked up slowly from his shotgun and saw the entire interior was coveredin kerosene.

"You've got to be _kidding_." said Axl, dropping the rifle and the remaining shells in his hand. The house was lit only by the midday sun slipping in through the curtains, but still shimmered on the fuel-laden oak floor. He looked around saw a little old woman in an old blue 1950's style dress hobble out of what looked like the kitchen.

Axl picked up his rifle and the shells and finished loading while speaking up, "Excuse me ma'am, I'm Colonel-"

The hunched over woman raised her hand to silence him as she walked across the other side of the room. She spoke in a kind, elderly voice. "Oh, hello! Come in, come in. Your name isn't important! I'm so sorry, this place is a mess. As you can see, I can't really entertain any guests right now." She gave a warm smile under her silver-gray hair.

"Ma'am, you're in grave danger!" Axl spoke with concern as he heard the faint sound of hissing from outside begin again.

The elderly woman stopped, looked, and began to walk towards him. "Oh, I know that. What, you think I'm senile?" She laughed, looking down to watch her step. She came to about ten feet of him and stopped again. "You look lost, is there somewhere you need to be?"

Axl couldn't understand this woman nor how she could know he had lost the route. With nothing else he could thing of, he went along with, what he figured, her lucky guess. "Yes ma'am, I'm heading toward the penitentiary, if you know the way it would help."

"Oh that awful place! They should never have built it. You know, I never liked the fact they would send prisoners to my town than to some city that could use one of those hell-holes!"

Axl tried again, searching for the map in one of his pockets. "Miss, if you could please tell me where I am on the map, I might be able to find my way there." he found the map, but then put it back with a growl as remembered where he was and how dire the situation was for this woman, "No, first we need to get you out of here and to safety! I warded off some of the lickers but I'm certain more are coming!" He began to walk forward, holding his free hand in front as he continued. "Is there a vehicle we could use to get you out of the city?"

The old woman moved to her fireplace, fixing the knick-knacks she had collected over the years. She spoke so calmly, despite the approaching danger just outside her door. "It all started with that blond man in the sunglasses, claiming to be sent by the government. When people began to get sick, he set up a quarantine on the town so no one could leave. Then he prohibited going to the gas stations to fill up your car, saying that burning something in the fuel' and releasing it into the air was causing the illness. Oh what a bunch of crap, if you don't mind my language!" She turned to him and put her hands together. "I'm sorry, but there are no working cars left in this entire town."

A dark shadow fell upon his face. Axl understood that without any vehicles, travelling would be far more dangerous as well as more strenuous, but something else she said bothered him greatly. "You saida blond man with sunglasses? Was he caucasian, around forty, about six feet tall with a deep voice?"

The old woman nodded. "Yes, yes, he said he was a captain or something. He didn't give his name."

Axl clenched his fist and whispered, "Wesker" Axl looked back up to the elderly woman. "Please, let me get you to safety, I can't leave you here."

"Listen to me." The old woman straightened herself, seeming to grow twice as tall as she first looked. "I had a son once, a long time ago. During the 70's, he was drafted to fight in Vietnam. I had made such a fuss because I didn't want him to go and even asked him to escape to Canada so he wouldn't be in any danger. Buthe wouldn't back down, he wasn't scared to fight. He always told me that it wasn't right to walk away and leave the fighting for others. Oh, I didn't think one more teenager fighting would mean anything, but he always told me one person was what made all the difference. Each day went by slowly, and I feared getting that letter from the government telling metelling me he..." She sat down, looking emotionally drained as she told the story. She closed her eyes and wiped them with the back of her hand before putting on a pair of glasses that hung from her breast pocket. Axl was listening intently to her, standing upright with a blank expression on his face. He could guess what had happened. 

The woman picked up a small frame from the stained-wood table next to the chair. The picture it held was a black and white photo which had yellowed over the years of man — more like a boy — of 18, in full military dress uniform with a large grin from ear to ear. "November 9th, 1974. That day it rained so harshly as I went to get the mail. Then I saw it, a letter from the United States government. I broke down crying right then and there as I opened the letter in the pouring rain. The letter read my son was killed in action, protecting his platoon from a grenade thrown by a deranged soldier from his own unit during a battle. I didn't understand then why he sacrificed himselfbut I understand now. He gave himself up without second thought and died bravely to protect others and for a cause he believed in."

Axl stood silent, feeling sympathy for the woman as he looked into her saddened face. He understood her reasoning more clearly now, even if he still believed it mad to want to stay and die. 

He silently thought to himself, "She is bound to this place" 

She stood up once more. "This is my home. I've lived here all my life, in this town, in this home. My son was born and raised in this home. No monster will EVER set foot here, and I'll make sure of that! I will defend this place from being defiled by those_things_," Axl looked at her, her eyes and face were now sharp, showing her firmness in her belief and her lack of fear. She had doused her home in kerosene and his guess was she was ready to burn the house down with her inside before any virals could get in.

Axl's demeanor remained the same, a cold exterior to mask any welling emotion. He gazed at the old woman; he knew she would not leave her home alive. He felt so sorry for her, but there was nothing more he could do. She had made her choice.

The sound of lickers hitting the windows and attacking the walls became audible. He knew it was only a matter of time before they would overrun the house. He began to turn away, she was lost and there was no use in trying to save her. He would kick down the door, blast whatever was out there, make a run for it and try to find the right road. 

The woman saw this and cried out softly to him, "Wait! You don't know the way. Head left down the road in front and you'll reach Main Street after a half a mile of walking. I'm sorry I went on rambling deary, butyou remind me so much of him." she laughed mildly, "At first glance I thought you were a ghost!"

Axl nodded, also chuckling mildly. The elderly woman reached into the drawer under the picture and took out a small, worn out oak box.

"There is one more thing. I want you to have this, because I can see it in your eyes you have the same courage and determination that my son had." She opened the box and took out a medal attached to a blue-striped ribbon. "For his unflinching courage in the face of death for the sake of others, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. Take this with you and never forget what you're fighting for. May my son's spirit help you in your journey, and please, live through this."

Axl smiled weakly at her as he took the medal and slipped it into his shirt's left front pocket, "Thank you, Miss." He locked his shotgun and held it to his shoulder. He would have felt like crying, but it would have done no good, so he kept his composure. He wasn't going to ask her again to escape, she would just end up dead and that was reality. He said the only thing he thought appropriate, "God save you."

As Axl moved to look out the bay window, the elderly woman's hands gripped something she had concealed in her pocket the entire time: a lighter. She lit it and sighed, checking its flame.

A small crash from the ceiling grabbed his attention and he spun around to see a licker had broken in and dropped down, behind the unknowing elderly woman. She was directly in the line of fire and there was no time to react. Before Axl could say anything, the monster had run its lance-like tongue through her chest.

"NO!" He cried, but then saw the small flame in her hand: the lighter remained lit. At once he realized the body was going to fall onto the kerosene soaked floor once the licker retracted its tongue. More and more of them were pouring in from freshly breached openings, each emitting an ear-splitting hissing roar from their throats, nearly deafening him. Axl cringed at the noise, but managed to look on with terror as the first licker saw him and prepared to draw its tongue out to launch another strike. 

It took only a split second for Axl to snap out of his stupor. Thinking quickly, he spun into a firing stance, fired at the window with his shotgun and jumped through, just as the body hit the floor.

Axl looked up as the house erupted in flame. He heard the collective sound of dozens of lickers being burned alive in the home, their hissing and inhuman screaming curdling his blood for a moment. He got on his feet and ran into the street, where he looked at the house in full as it was engulfed in flames in the middle of the garden. The screams stopped after a few moments.

"I'm sorry they entered your beloved home, but they never took you from it, even to the very end." Axl put his hand over the pocket holding the medal, "Nothing could break you, just as nothing could break your son. Go with your son, dear woman, and go with God." He said a silent goodbye before heading down the way the nameless woman had told him to go.


	6. Sidetracked

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Chapter VI: Sidetracked

The halls of the cell block echoed the footsteps of a tall blond man in a dark police uniform followed by two armed guards as they walked on ground floor of the two-story complex. The halls were wrought with fetor and decay, the cement stained with unsanitary water at points. The cells were not empty, however, but held the bodies of deceased prisoners who had died due to infection of the T-Virus - their foul, pungent smell of their decomposing flesh hanging in the air. The midday sun poured in from the barred windows on the opposite wall.

Only one cell contained a living occupant, which was located in one of the center cells. The two armed soldiers moved ahead and stood guard in front of it on either side. The blond man stopped in front of the cell and peered through the bars inside. In the far corner of the cell was a young woman with brown hair and her old S.T.A.R.S. uniform, sitting in a curled position, her hands around her knees and her head down. She didn't look up to acknowledge him.

"Well well, you seem to be doing just fine, Miss Chambers. I see you haven't left the cell, even though I told you it was never locked. I take it you enjoy our accommodations?"

She didn't answer.

The man spoke louder, "That's the beauty of it, isn't it Miss Chambers! You know you aren't being forced to stay, and yet outside is a city of the monsters you've been so afraid of ever since the Spencer Mansion. Tell me, do the nightmares still bother you?"

She hugged herself tighter, turning her head away to face the wall.

The blond man smiled, looking at her through his dark sunglasses. "I see. We haven't fed you in days, you must be starving by now. The choice remains with you. You can die of starvation here or die at the hands of the monsters. There's no need to hurry; I enjoy watching you suffer. To think, this is a bonus for me while I carry out my mission. Because of you, that fool Burton will send his best Hunters to try and rescue you, only to fall into my trap: an entire city full of my T-Virus wonders! They'll serve as true tests for the old and new B.O.W.'s. In fact, their first agents are probably dead already."

Rebecca began to feel her eyes well with tears, she couldn't stand listening to this.

Another soldier ran down the hall, an anxious look on his face. His running caused several of the zombies inside the cells to begin moaning and awaken, reaching through the bars. He slowed to a stop before reaching the man.

He spoke urgently, "Captain Wesker, we have reports of the Agent the Viral Hunters sent."

At this, Rebecca listened intently without moving from her position.

Wesker spoke in his same cold voice as he looked down at the soldier. "Well?"

"Sir, we've been roughly tracking the movements of the First V-Hunter; he has passed the residential area and is now in the commercial district where several B.O.W.'s have been previously destroyed. He's advancing at much faster rate than we have anticipated."

Wesker clenched his fist while maintaining his imposing stare on the man. "Barry sent his best after all, I had hoped that worthless Jeremiah could have gotten him to send a few weaker ones first with the incomplete information he was supposed to give them."

"What shall we do about the Hunter, sir?"

"We'll have to release our more powerful B.O.W.'s sooner than expected. Send the King Tyrant and a few other Bio Organic Weapons to intercept that V-Hunter. Now, what about the second Hunter we detected?"

"The second V-Hunter is moving much more swiftly than the first, but is not causing as much damage to the Virals in the area and hasn't advanced as far due to its more spread out movements. That Hunter seems to have a separate objective."

Wesker put his hand to his chin, "I see. I think I have an idea what the other's mission is. I'll be checking the route the other took, give me a map of its path. We must be certain the Viral Hunters fail in their mission."

The soldier saluted and ran off to get the information needed. Wesker signaled to the two guards to follow him as he walked back as well.

Rebecca began to cry, her tears falling onto her knees. Her sobs echoed in the empty hallway. "They're going to die because of me. It's hopeless" She felt so scared, for her life and those risking their own for her.

-

"It had to have been Wesker, no one else who looks like that could be devious and convincing enough to pull this off. It's exactly the same thing he pulled on my home town in Arizona seven years ago!"

Axl had been walking for the past ten minutes after running as far as he could from the burning house. A few of the remaining lickers outside managed to follow him, but he taught them again the power of a good shotgun. On his way, he passed a number of cars and trucks, but the story the woman told him was correct, none of them had enough gasoline, if any, in their tanks. He had reached a more commercial district of the town, but it still had apartments on either side of the street in irregular intervals between the stores. With everything quiet again, he needed to figure things out. His weapons and gear were back in their proper places, fully loaded for the next fight.

As he walked, he heard a low growl close by. It didn't take an expert to know what that sound was.

"Oh great, I knew I forgot something." He sighed, "For some reason, I _never_ eat breakfast before a mission" He leaned against a wall a few feet by the opening of an alley, set down his Kalashnikov and took out a Butterfinger candy bar. He took a generous bite from it, knowing that, to be at his best, he'd need all the energy he could get.

He continued to talk to himself as he ate, "The story the woman told me had to have been true, everything matches up well enough. Besides," He checked the medal in his pocket, "she had no reason to lie." 

He wiped his brow with his sleeve. "But then, it was just a test of the virus. Now, I have no clue as to why he'd do this, short of him being a psycho! Well, I might as well see how much further I have to go."

He took another large bite of his Butterfinger and took a sip from one of his canteens. Placing them back in their pouches, he took out his map of the town and confirmed his location.

"Ok, good. If I keep at this rate I can reach the prison by nightfall. My problem is getting out of here alive with Rebecca - if she's alive, that is - and seeing as there's no helicopter and there is supposed to be a strict radio silence, base doesn't know my current situation. I'll have to find my own way out, but I'll figure that out later. If only I could find a vehicle with some fuel to burn, then everything would go by so much faster and I could avoid danger much more easily." He stuffed the map back into the pocket and put his assault rifle's strap back over on. "Hell, today just isn't my day."

While he looked down to check himself, making sure he had everything, he heard a loud crashing noise behind him in the alley.

He turned to look, and out ran a boy of about the age of twelve, carrying a blue backpack. He wore khaki shorts and a large, blue long-sleeve shirt he had buttoned down but wasn't tucked in; there was a large claw mark torn into the back. Axl glanced at the boy as he moved into the street. He turned back to the alley and pressed against the wall beside the entrance, ready to catch whatever he was running from by surprise. 

Out followed an infected Doberman, missing huge pieces of skin and tissue. It stopped a few feet in front of Axl, but hadn't noticed him, only looking for the boy. Axl could see its eyes were glazed over as it snarled ferociously, spotting the preteen. The boy ran across the street and went up against a wall as he turned to face the dog, his eyes filled with terror. The dog burst into a sprint, but just as the dog jumped to attack, Axl drew his .357 magnum and shot the dog in mid-air before it reached the kid.

"Don't worry," said Axl, spinning his revolver and placing it back in his shoulder holster. "You're safe, kid."

The boy ran up to him and grabbed his hand, tugging it, "Come on! We have to keep running!" he shouted.

Axl walked quickly with the boy as he pulled him, but stopped and took his hand from the kid's grip. "Hey, there's nothing to worry about! I got rid of the dog!"

The kid turned to him, holding the straps of his backpack, "No! Not all of them!"

Axl turned around and looked at the alley. Dobermans began to emerge, one after the other, until twenty or so were standing together. All of them showed signs of severe T-Virus infection and each of them looked very hungry.

"You have got to be _kidding me_Oh, this _really_ isn't my day" Axl whispered as he stared at the pack of Cerberus, slowly going to one knee. They were a good distance away, no closer than twenty-five feet. He kept staring, keeping eye contact with the head dog, not showing any sign of fear. The Cerberus kept growling, standing ready to run forward for the kill, but remained at bay. 

"You may be infected, and you may be rabid, but you're still just dogs"

It was just a matter of will power and showing no sign of weakness to keep the dogs from attacking. He didn't know how much time it would buy, but he could only hope it would be enough for him to get ready to counter. Axl easily unshouldered his AK-47 as fast as he dared and held it against his right side, keeping it aimed forward at them.

He spoke with a firm, commanding voice so both the boy and the Cerberus could hear, "All right kid, get behind me and don't move until I get us out of this." He heard the footsteps stop behind him and he breathed for a second, never breaking his stare on the pack. 

Suddenly, the lead dog barked and they began to dash forward, their open mouths baring their sharp teeth while they growled mindlessly for warm flesh. Axl also bared his teeth as he gritted them, pulling the trigger of his assault rifle. He spraying the group of dogs with powerful 7.62 mm rounds, sweeping them two or three times with fire. The yelps and sounds of the bullets boring through them was overpowered by the sound of the rifle. Most of them were dead in seconds.

One surviving dog ran to the left and attempted to attack Axl's right while he fired. 

"Watch out!!" shouted the kid as he pointed at the impending danger.

The dog jumped at them, coming within feet of Axl. Axl's brown eyes burned with cold fire as they moved to look to the side under the shade of his hat.

"Pathetic." In a fluid motion he trained the rifle on the dog in a heartbeat, gunning it down as three of the AK's bullets tore it to pieces in mid-air. Axl didn't dwell on the one fallen Cerberus for long, quickly turning his rifle back on the main pack. 

Of the original twenty or so Cerberus, only two remained able to run away after suffering severe wounds. Axl raised the rifle to eye level and began to squeeze the trigger, but realized with those wounds they'd bleed to death anyway. He stood back up and removed the almost empty clip.

"What a waste of ammo, I used my best weapon to kill a bunch of _dogs_." grumbled Axl, putting in a new magazine. He locked it into place and put the gun back over his shoulder.

The kid stood there, looking at the destroyed pack and back to Axl. "ThatAWESOME! My name's Rick, what's yours?"

Axl looked down at Rick, still grim. He sighed and began to resume walking, "Axl. Come with me, you'll be safer."

He nodded, running up to catch up to Axl, "Yeah, thanks. Hey, how'd you know to act all calm like that?"

"Standard operating procedure against Cerberus packs." Axl tipped his hat up with his thumb to better look at the kid he'd saved, "Usually you're supposed to run or evade, seeing as a bullet is better placed into a larger or more dangerous Viral, but I wasn't the only one in danger, now was I?" He flashed a smile, to make sure the kid didn't feel bad about having to be protected. "Can you tell me what a kid like you is doing outside with all these monsters around?"

Rick lifted the straps of his backpack a bit on his back and set it down. "I was getting some supplies for my family."

Axl glanced at the kid again, still facing forward. "Family? There's more of you?"

"Yeah! We're getting ready to leave, I had to pick up ammunition for when we bust out of here!"

He stopped as Rick took off his backpack and watched him open it to reveal two boxes of shotgun shells and a couple of handgun magazines.

Axl's eyes widened with disbelief, jumping back slightly, "Wah! That's a lot of artillery for a kid!"

"Yeah, but I don't think we'll need it. We have a huge car ready and my dad found a crashed gas truck a few days ago after the all monsters showed up! We've been hiding in our apartment and blasting any of those zombies if they try to get in. We've got all the stuff we need now."

"Wow, can I have some shellsWait, what kind of car?"

"Oh, I think it's called a Humvee' or something"

Axl nodded as he whispered to himself, "A working car would be extremely useful" This kid might be able to get him a mode of transportation; his mission time could be cut down significantly!

After a moment of thought, he quickly weighed the options and their likely ends and faced back down to the kid, tightening his lips, thinking, "No, nothey'd need it way more than I would. HellI hate being so selfless" He shook his head and started to walk again, leaving Rick behind.

He yelled back while watching the road, "Get back to your family and get out of here." He spoke a bit louder as he was getting farther away, "And good luck!" He adjusted his hat with his right hand and rose it for a curt farewell.

"Hey, Mr. Axl, wait!" Rick yelled, keeping an innocent tone of voice. Axl stopped and turned again. He looked up; he knew what was coming. Rick ran up to him, "With you helping us, we'd be sure to make it out of herePlease help us out."

Axl stood there and closed his eyes as he thought. He realized the consequences of this too, took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

He looked back briefly and turned to face the road. "Sure, kid. I'll help you guys out." This was going to delay his main objective even more, but he couldn't leave this little kid and his family to fend for themselves, even if they did have a vehicle. With the kinds of powerful creatures that might be out there, an expert V-Hunter'd be the best bet for getting out alive. He wasn't going to be responsible for another innocent's death.

Rick laughed with excitement, putting his backpack back on. "Great! Come on, I'll take you to my apartment. You can meet my family! We'll all escape together!"

The kid grabbed Axl's hand again, tugging it harder than he had before. Axl ran to keep up, thinking to himself, "I hope this isn't a mistake."


	7. Escape

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Chapter VII: Escape

****

Axl had been following Rick, running slower than he knew he could. The decrease in pace proved a bit annoying, as Axl could feel the wasted minutes begin to compile. However, it wasn't too far to the boy's apartment building. He had taken his shotgun back in hand and kept on alert, scouting the area constantly as they ran. No matter what, he swore to himself this kid and his family were getting out alive.

Unfortunately, it was really Axl who had been taking too much time and moving too slowly. Rick was far enough now to be out of safety range. He turned left on the corner at the intersection ahead and out of Axl's sight. 

"Hey, wait up!" Axl shouted as he sped up to catch him. Rick walked backward into view again, his face frozen. 

"Rick!" Axl furrowed his brow; he didn't like the look of this, something was definitely wrong. Then the smell hit his nose, a foul, sickly odor that smelled of slime and blood. "Holy Rick, get back here!" He double-timed it over there and reached the corner, skidding to a halt behind Rick.

What crept forward was without a doubt one of the deadly Hunter Beta B.O.W.'s, its scales dripped slime onto the pavement as it took large but slow steps toward them, leaving its clawed hands dangling at its sides. It stopped just five feet from Rick and Axl and gave a screeching hiss, causing Rick to trip and fall backward. 

Axl on the other hand was not impressed; He pointed his shotgun while it was still roaring and blasted it, ending the creature's screech prematurely. It stumbled a bit toward them and collapsed forward, falling onto Rick. He kicked the bloody mass off himself immediately.

"Yeech, that's just nasty." The boy got up and looked down at the blood on his pants. "Awww, Mom would kill me if this stained!"

Axl rested the shotgun over his right shoulder and laughed, "When you live to fight these things you get used to the mess." He shifted his view onto the Hunter Beta and his expression changed as the oddity came to his attention, "But it's strange, you usually don't run into these things in the field. They release them by important locations in desperate situations; they don't just let them roam. There's no way one of these things could have wandered this far on its own" 

Rick also looked at the dead hunter, cringing at its putrid smell, "What do you mean? Should there be more of them?" 

"No, no. It's just odd." Axl grabbed the kid's arm and helped him up. "How much further till we get to your place?"

Rick was still looking at gory heap as he began to speak, "It's just down the block, it's the tallest apartment" he turned his head upward, staring silently in a state of shock even worse than before. He gazed at his building with his mouth open wide.

Axl saw it too, gripping his shotgun tightly he witnessed the red-bricked, six-story apartment building ahead covered by dozens of zombies crawling up its walls. The horrible moaning of such a number of zombies was terrible, the true sound of the walking dead. Clumsily the monsters scaled the brick, some breaking off pieces and others slipping and falling, but all of them seemed to be headed toward the top floor. Some had reached the windows already and were trying to smash them with their arms.

Suddenly, the flash of shotgun fire erupted from the windows, sending shards of glass with the scatter shot into the virals. Two people appeared from the window and fired several shots at the infected humans scaling the wall, knocking only a fraction down as the resounding noises of their weapons broke through the moans and death-gasps. They went back inside, their silhouettes moving back and forth in the windows.

Axl growled, "What in the hell? How are they all attacking a large structure at once? They don't have the intelligence for an assault like this!"

Rick screamed, "Oh my God! My family is on the top floor! We have to save them!"

"Run to the car and get it ready to go, I'll save them!" Axl wasted no time and dashed toward the house while Rick ran to the safety of the car. 

Axl could see in the other windows below that zombies had also begun climbing the stairwells in huge masses. He had to act fast, or the monsters would overrun the people trapped upstairs. He could not bear to face the death of Rick's family; Rick would lose his family to the virus and become an orphan just as Axl had. This, the Viral Hunter could _not_ allow. It was this thought that drove him into that building.

Axl kicked down the decorative double doors in the front of the building, firing at the zombies at the base of the stairs at first sight. The muggy, humid air rushed past him as he ran up, firing away at the crowded zombies on the staircase and jumping over them as he passed. He hadn't reached the second floor when his Benelli ran out of shells.

"Damn it! No time to reload!" he yelled, tossing it into place on his back. The zombies further up the large, square stairwell had now realized the presence of the V-Hunter and walked down to attack. Axl gave a weak smile; he did not let this deter him in the least as he decided to go with another approach.

As they came into range, Axl gave a stout yell as drew his sword and began swinging it left and right in crude, powerful slashes, clearing the path of monsters as he moved forward with each swing. 

"Now is not the time for finesse, so you're gonna have to excuse me!" Axl took a moment to look back down the path, and gritted his teeth in anger as a few drops of sweat fell from under the brim of his hat. The zombies below that had survived the shotgun blasts were now risen again and began their walk up the stairs once more.

He looked back up, a zombie too close for even him to like stood before him. He could see in the musty glow from the light of the windows the severe lacerations in the rotting flesh, caused by the nature of the virus. He swung his sword up, cutting the front of the zombie, causing it to stagger, and brought it back down. 

"HA!" He cleaved the zombie in half, realizing it was the last of that segment of stairway, from the head down with a powerful slash, planting his sword into the wooden stairs. He placed his foot next to the blade and pulled it out with a grunt. "I'll hack my way through a hundred stories of these things before I let you freaks get to those people!"

Axl was about to run up again, his rage pushing him onward, until he heard the repeated sound of shotgun fire ringing through the upstairs. The sounds grew louder and louder, with Axl just standing still and listening, forced to breathe in the aroma of decayed blood and viral innards as he waited to see.

Then he heard a woman shriek, "Keep shooting, Gary! I've got Katie!" 

Down the stairs came a well-built man in his late 30's with short, curly blond hair, wearing a dress shirt and pants, carrying a Remington 870 shotgun. Behind him followed a woman with long, chestnut hair in a simple yellow dress, carrying the same type rifle in one hand and a little three year old girl in the other. She frantically put a few shells into her rifle the best she could while holding the little girl as she ran with her husband.

The man yelled back to her, "Regina, we'll get out of here, and we'll get Rick too! Don't worry!" The man stopped when he saw Axl, who had put his sword back in its sheath.

Axl didn't need to say a word as they looked at each other for only a second. Axl then drew his .357 and smirked. Both nodded to affirm they knew they were fighting the same fight. Axl spun 180 degrees and fired at a rising zombie a few steps below, and led the way as they began to run down the now blood-soaked stairs, blasting away at the zombies Axl hadn't killed on the way up.

Axl yelled to the family as he wasted two zombies with the same round, "Are all of you all right?"

Gary, the father, yelled back, "Yeah! But we've never seen this many before!" He fired a shotgun blast over the railing at a zombie a floor below, "There's no way we can fight them all, so we need to escape! We have a Humvee around back, we'll head to it!"

Axl grumbled, "I know that already, sheesh! They always have to remind me I don't have a friggin' car!" He ejected the empty shells of his pistol as the four of them glided down the stairs and used a speed loader to reload in an instant. 

They had reached the bottom of the stairs. The numbers of infected humans was now significantly less, but still a danger. Axl jumped down the last few steps onto a zombie, knocking it onto the floor, and blew its head off while it was still on the ground. The window broke and Axl heard another familiar hiss, and instinctively went into a firing stance, aiming his revolver toward the noise. Just as he thought, a licker stood in front of the broken window.

The licker saw him and launched its tongue from halfway across the main foyer. Axl aimed briefly and shot through the tip of the tongue and through the back of the licker's head, splattering the contents on the wall.

He lowered his pistol slightly from his eyesight, feeling the need for a glib remark. "You didn't like the taste of THAT, did ya?!" 

Gary and Regina had also been busy, holding off the other zombies that were coming in from the sides with their spread-shot rifles. Their shotguns clicked as they, too, ran out of shells, but they had succeeded in clearing the way. All of them ran out the doors and into the sunlight.

-

As they ran into the open, the black Humvee drove out of the alleyway to the right of the building, swerving in front of them. Rick jumped out of the driver's seat and crawled into the back to make room for everyone. 

The father saw his son, and shouted with an overjoyed look on his face, "Oh thank God! Ricky's in the car!"

The mother also saw him and sighed with relief, calming her fears that she might have lost him. Gary took the driver's seat while the mother placed Katie in Rick's arms before quickly slipping into the passenger side at the front, slamming the door behind her. 

She leaned over the seat and pulled Rick up to her, kissing his cheek and hugged him tightly, "My baby! You're safe, I can't believe it!" She began to cry as the father reached back and ruffled his hair, smiling while holding back his own tears of joy.

She sniffed from her crying, "When all the monsters showed up I could only think of you still out there, looking for more supplies. We were so scared they had gotten you!"

Rick smiled, "Don't worry momma! Axl saved me from the dogs! He's really cool!"

The father laughed and shook his head, turning back to the steering wheel. They were going to get out as a family. 

However, Axl was still outside. He had stopped next to the car and held his pistol out, shooting at several zombies who had not given up, with each shot finding its mark either at the head or upper body. As he fought them off and kept them from advancing, he waited for everyone to get settled as he constantly kept looking back, checking through the windows that everyone was secure.

He spoke so they could hear him from outside the car once he saw they were ready, "You get going! I'll be fine, just get out of the city as fast as you can!" He fired his last round in the magnum and used another speed loader to reload. He then holstered his sidearm.

"All right, Ax, just lead them away" Axl began to walk away at a brisk pace, keeping his sights on the main group of zombies. He wanted to draw the creatures' attention away from the vehicle and to keep his distance from the infected so he could blast them and make a break for it when it came time. He glanced at the car for a moment, "Good luck you guys, at least we know you'll make it." Turning his gaze back to the zombies, he began to think of a plan of escape for himself.

"Wait!" Gary had stepped out of the car and shouted from over the roof of the black vehicle, causing Axl to halt. "Just come with us, at least let us drive you out of this area! It's crawling with monsters!"

Axl looked back from under his hat, the breeze kicking his shirt up slightly. It _would_ be better if he stayed with them until they were out of the area to follow through with his task of evacuating them safely. Also, fighting his way out seemed to be a waste of precious ammunition that might be vital against stronger enemies later on, and he had already spent almost all his shotgun ammo. 

Axl muttered, "Oh, what the hell" He turned and ran to the car, sliding over its hood Dukes of Hazard style. He jumped into the left side back seat, shutting the door. 

"Well, let's get out of here already!" The car's tires screeched as the father hit the gas pedal. Axl felt the rush as the vehicle sped from the zombies now entering the streets. Despite this, several things kept nagging him. How could those things have organized out of nowhere? How did that MA 121B hunter get so far on its own? Axl's stomach felt uneasy, and it sure as heck wasn't the candy bar.


	8. Alpha of Omega

****

Chapter VIII: Alpha of Omega

No more than a few minutes had passed, and now they were travelling streets Axl had not planned on seeing on his mission path. He knew he needed to ask them to stop so he could get off and return to his mission; he felt he had done his part in helping them escape and that they were becoming an unnecessary burden. Though he knew he'd miss them, there was no point in letting attachments get in the way of the objective.

Axl spoke up, his tone of voice clear and to the point, "It's time I leave you people, you can take it from here on out; just stay safe. If I remember rightly from my map, if you continue on this large street, you will be out of the city in under ten minutes."

Gary kept driving, not turning to face Axl who sat behind him. "What is it you're doing here, anyway? Why in the _hell_ would anyone still need to be here?"

Axl remained silent for a moment, he had to phrase this just right. The problem was, he never felt he could say the right thing at times like this. His head was down and his voice kept an unemotional feel. "I'm the last hope for someone trapped in a nightmare she can't wake up from. That's all I can tell you."

"Don't be stupid!" yelled Gary, "Whoever she is, she's dead, end of story. Face the facts, nothing could survive that. We're the _only_ God damned survivors!" Katie began to cry; her dad yelling had scared her. It forced him to close his mouth and forgo speaking his mind. 

Regina looked to Axl, who noticed her glance the instance she turned to face him. "Please Mr. Axl, you saved our son, you saved us! We don't want you to throw your life away trying to do something meaningless"

Axl had no answer. They could be right, he might just have to abort. If Rebecca were really dead, everything he would suffer through would be for nothing. It's just one life

"No" Axl shook his head, "I can't think like that! Even if there is a remote chance, I need to try! I can't leave her to die, alone and scared, running from these, theseungodly things!" Axl had just reminded himself why he was here; though knowing what to say was sometimes hard, speaking from his heart gave him the right words every time. He calmed himself, "I'm sorry, this is something I have to do. Thank you for your concern, but"

Rick had been looking at him the entire time, smiling. It was clear he looked up to him, even though they had met only a short time ago. Axl reached over and ruffled his hair and continued speaking, "I can't give up, as long as I have the power to do something. One soldier makes all the differenceAs long as the Virus causes suffering and death, I must dedicate my life to stopping it. Even if I can only save one person, that would make my life worth it."

Axl could smell the air outside, seeping in through the windows. It had become foul once more, the same smell of the Hunter Beta he had killed earlier. Axl's face grew serious, his sudden change in demeanor causing the others to grow concerned again. 

"Oh no" he whispered. This time, the smell was far stronger than before. He felt the fear begin to rise as he knew what that meant, there were more now, close by. Axl had to act, dismissing any anxiety he'd felt, even for a brief moment. There was no time for fear, leave that for the people not fighting.

"Keep driving, I'm going on the roof." Axl opened the door, the pavement flying by. He held his hat and leaned out, holding the door to keep him steady.

"What the heck are you doing?!" The father looked back twice, wanting to see Axl's stunt but not daring to go against what he asked. He leaned forward, concentrating on the road.

The V-Hunter side of him took over once more. This was a combat situation. "Hunters, lots of them. We're going to be ambushed. Just don't panic and keep this thing steady, I'll keep them off us." Axl placed one foot on the seat and the other on the door's inside handle, using them as steps as he jumped up onto the top of the car. Rick leaned over his seat and shut the door, just as alarmed as the other members of his family.

The wind hit his face sharply as the car traveled over 50 mph on the four lane deserted street. He went down to one knee to reduce wind resistance and stay on the car. His explorer-esque shirt flapped wildly behind him as he kept his hat at an angle so the wind wouldn't blow it off. He looked from left to right, putting his hand over his hat.

"Where are you" He took his AK-47 from his shoulder and readied it. Though the fast moving air stung his eyes, he caught movement to the right as he saw one of the creatures he feared were following them running alongside the vehicle. The car began to swerve a bit.

Axl punched the metal he knelt on hard, "Keep it steady, damn it! Don't mind them!" He aimed, correcting for the speed they were travelling and fired three rounds at the hunter. Two of the shots struck it, causing it to trip and roll to a stop as the car left it in the dust.

"One, but I know there's a lot more" Before he could turn, he heard the metal beside him pound and a hunter's screech tear through the air. The MA-121 hunter lunged with its claws forward.

Axl instinctively rolled to the side in a desperate attempt to avoid the attack. He felt his legs miss the surface as they only made contact with air, and found himself hanging from the edge of the roof of the car with his forearms, hearing the screams inside as the family watched through the windows. Looking up, he saw the hunter see its victim at a disadvantage and move against the rushing air toward Axl. 

However, the rifle had not fallen from Axl's hand, and just before the hunter knelt to slash at him, he fired a shot into the hunter's jaw, sending it reeling backwards. It failed to kill it but stopped it for long enough. Axl climbed back up as the hunter regained its senses and attempted to rise with him. 

Axl wouldn't let it fully regain its balance and lunged forward, swinging the butt of his rifle into its side, knocking the hunter off the roof. He felt as the wind threatened to knock him off as well, placing his foot before him to maintain his own balance. He then readied himself again, going back to one knee and faced forward. Using his left hand to hold the rim of his hat to try and help him see better, Axl saw the hunters run into the street, the car speeding toward them.

He yelled again, knowing the alarm the people inside probably felt, "Just drive right through! Don't give them an easy target!"

Axl spoke to himself, constructing a battle plan off the top of his head, "It'll take three rounds each to put of those things out of commission. I've got to aim carefully and wait for them to get relatively close so I don't waste any shots. That means I have to wait for them to jump at me for me to get a clean shot." He smiled. "Damn it, why do I have to cut these things so close" 

With his mind racing, he couldn't figure even a rough estimate of their numbers, just knowing there were enough to make it tough to get through. Until the car got passed the main group of hunters, they'd all be in grave danger. He took the rifle in both hands and brought it to eye level. So, the family did need him for a bit longer after all.

"Bring it on you freaks!" He fired a burst from his rifle, shooting the first hunter he saw jump at him, killing it. "You're on the highway to hell!"

-

"Quickly, turn all monitors to the River Street cameras! We must continue observing the V-Hunter!" A well-built man stood in a dark room filled with monitors, barking orders and several people working at computer screens. The images of Axl's fight on top of the car against the attacking virals came up on several monitors, with several still showing no signal.

The screen illuminated his gruff face and crew-cut hair as he leaned over one of the operators, "What are you doing? Why aren't camera sectors E5 to E11 working?"

The man in the chair in front of the screen looked up and moved his hands frantically, "I-I don't know! The multiplexers are having trouble accepting the feed! I'll have to reroute them entirely!"

"Well fix it, damn it! We have strict orders to record battle data!" He looked at the screen, the agent kneeling on the black car, repelling the creatures sent to kill him and the survivors. "Damn it, those MA-121's are useless!"

"Perhaps you wish to rephrase that?" Wesker's voice startled the man in charge. "I see our first Viral Hunter is still alive."

"W-Wesker!" he saluted, "I thought you were tracking the second V-Hunter!"

"Don't be concerned about that, everything is under control. Now, what's the status?"

"I'm sorry to report that the agent in the hat is still alive. It seems as if your city-trap for the Viral Hunter Agents isn't working as you had originally conceived. We just couldn't have planned for this kind of resistance. This won't show well of your virus."

Wesker stood in front of the man, who was roughly his same height. He looked around the room with his hands behind his back, watching the images shown over the live feed. "What do you mean by that? Everything is working according to plan. Have patience, it'd do you good to not be so quick to judge such masterpieces."

"Listen to me, the hunters we sent still haven't killed him yet. The T-Virus specimens simply aren't effective; the V-Hunter is too much for them!" He pointed toward one of the monitors. Axl was still shooting down hunter after hunter as they came. He was yelling things and laughing as he gunned the monsters down. "You see? He's enjoying himself! We're only showing that the B.O.W.'s are a failure!"

Wesker sneered, "You seem to not know about what you're talking about. My virals will succeed. I'll have my revenge and we'll cripple Burton's organization while proving the virals' superiority. Don't think less of my creations, my new weapon will show you the true potential of the Tyrant Virus."

The man rose his voice; Wesker still remained so calm and sure of himself and his B.O.W.'s that it angered him. "You've become blind by your creations, we need to create a new plan! Our superiors will not tolerate failure; that is why they sent me to help supervise your testing. I don't care so much about using a mutating virus for a weapons program, but I will not allow this project to be a waste of our organization's time!"

Wesker stared at the man, not moving nor showing any care. "_Your_ superiors, you mean. I no longer take orders from them."

The man became more frantic, "What?! How dare you go against us! No one survives crossing the Organization!" He forced some mock-laughter, despite him visibly shaking before Wesker, "Your B.O.W.'s are a waste! If you can't defeat just _one_ V-Hun-" He was stopped abruptly mid-sentence. 

Wesker removed his hand from the man's chest, allowing the body to fall in a heap to the floor. "Your superiors do not concern me anymore, I am in charge now. I have everything I need from your people and it is time you all learned your place. And never insult my creations, you have no inkling as to their potential."

The entire room watched Wesker, their fear paralyzing them as they had witnessed the conversation. 

Wesker smiled, "Get back to work, I want to record this for posterity. This is the mere dawning of the new creation, the beginning of the end of all the human race." He began to laugh as his eyes grew wild behind his dark sunglasses, "And God said to them, be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it! Have dominion over the sea, the air, and all living things that move on the earth!"


	9. Tyrant King

****

Chapter IX: Tyrant King

Axl continued to fire away, shooting over and over with his assault rifle. He had already used up an entire clip and was about three-fifths done with this one. 

"They just keep coming, butthere's something I don't like about all this" He had noticed during the fighting an almost distinct pattern off attack, the different directions the hunters would strike from. Each time he thought he had figured out what he believed was the pattern, there would always be a new variable, making it almost unpredictable. 

"How could they be doing this? Hunters don't attack in patterns! This is impossible!" Axl knew it, though he couldn't believe it. The T-Virus monsters were using coordinated attacks - What was worse was he felt in his gut where it was leading. 

The vicious hunters came at him faster and faster, two from the right, one from the left, two from the center; feints and head on attacks, over and over, until the hunters would switch their pattern and come in from entirely new directions while the rest served as a diversion. 

He was going to run out of ammunition in his magazine, and the attacks were becoming more and more frequent as well as more complex, making it difficult to repel all of them at once. It was as if they knew his clip was almost spent and they were trying to hit the precise moment he had to reload.

"Oh God, pleasedon't let this be happening" He whispered through his clenched teeth as he aimed and emptied the last of the rifle's ammunition into a hunter. As he moved his hand over the clip, everything seemed to slow down for him. He could feel his heart pound, the beads of sweat falling, the rush of the air against him. He pulled the clip from its space and let it fall.

The pattern Axl had seen coming came frightfully to life as even before his clip hit the roof a second hunter followed the one he had just shot, flying through the air and landing in front of him. He stared at the monster, frozen as his mind raced to think of something to do. The moment passed by in a flash as the hunter roared and lunged at Axl, who attempted to reach for his magnum but was a split-second too late. 

Axl felt a white-hot pain sear in his right shoulder as the hunter dug its claw around his collar bone. Axl could only yell as both he and the hunter fell from the roof of the car, tumbling onto the pavement at high speed. 

Axl rolled with the hunter, trying to make sure he'd land on top of the creature as they continued to struggle. When they had stopped, Axl had stopped above the hunter with its claw still lodged into his upper torso.

Without even enough time to shake his head from the fall to the ground he felt it draw its claw out to prepare for another slash. Axl yelled, his mind now bent on survival and he focused his attention to the danger, making him forget the pain the hunter had inflicted.

Axl drove his right knee into the hunter's stomach, stopping its attack and repeatedly punched it with his left hand.

"Die!! Go to hell you son of a-" Axl's yells were drowned by the hunter's shrieks as the punches impacted with its face, the fierce blows knocking it senseless. But this wasn't enough for Axl, his adrenaline throwing him back into an almost barbaric combat state. The hunter attempted to lean his head forward to bite him, even though its vision was blurred from the injuries. Yelling once more just as fiercely as any Viral monster, Axl forced his left forearm into its mouth lengthwise and pressed it against the top of the hunter's mouth, not caring that the teeth tore into his arm. He moved his right arm, now soaked in his blood, and grabbed the creature's jaw, prying it open as the viral could only scream until Axl heard the snap of its jaw breaking.

Axl got up, wobbling slightly as he heard the car's tires screech. He looked up while holding his bleeding wound and saw the car stop in front of a gas tanker tipped over on the sidewalk and were just thirty meters from where he stood.

"What in the hell are they trying to pull?!" Axl could hear the high-pitched roars of the hunters, they were all around him. He looked left and right, the green blurs moved from building to building, from alley to alley. With his right arm basically disabled and having lost nearly a pint of blood so far, he knew the situation was hopeless.

"Damn it, if I knew I was going to die today I wouldn't have kept saving my candy bars" He looked back to the car and feared that they were in the same danger as well. He may have been lost, but they could still survive. He yelled at the top of his lungs, "Go! Go without me, you'll be killed!" The car didn't move.

He yelled again, "I said drive damn it, save yourselves! The hunters have us surrounded!" He knew the hunters were probably encircling his position by now, peering at him with their lizard-like eyes as they ran like blood-thirsty demons from the pits of hell itself. Axl spat thinking about it. He was probably going to end up as food for them. However, he was given reason to smile as the car's engine revved and traveled again at high speed down the street. As it passed the gas tanker, Axl thought he saw something fly from the window, but didn't mind it.

"Thank Godat least my life wasn't wasted. Somebody made it out of here" Axl turned to face the hunters, grinning, "Now it's time to dance you bio-freaks and I'm not going down without talking some of you with me!" But something was wrong as he scanned the buildings, the sudden unexpected turn of events causing him break from his tension with his confusion.

The hunters surrounding him were gone. No noise, no sign of any of them. Were his injuries causing him to hallucinate?

"II don't understandwhy wouldn't they have tried to kill me off already?" His mind took advantage of the lull in the fighting, taking any chance he could get. He looked over the ground in an almost frenzied manner until he laid his eyes on his AK-47, off by the fallen tanker a short run ahead. He clumsily ran and grabbed his rifle lying in the middle of the street, falling to his knees as he brought it to his side. He steadied himself as he quickly placed a fresh clip into the gun, trying to ignore the pain of his wound as he held the weapon.

However, the sound of a car's tires screeched again, followed by a crashing noise and metal crunching, capturing his attention. Without tearing his gaze from his weapon, he dared not to look, but had no doubt. He forced himself to look up, having to know for certain. Almost 400 feet away he saw the black humvee under a large, humanoid monster with huge black plated scales all over it's body. It had stuck its right claw into the engine. He could hear the screams of the people inside.

Axl stood in shock as the monster pulled its claw out of the car's engine, instantly triggering an explosion that wiped out the vehicle in a fireball, silencing the cries he heard. The monster disappeared in flames.

A few inaudible sounds fell from his lips as he stared in disbelief. It didn't even feel real. "It'snot fair" Axl whispered. He continued to look at the burning wreck, realizing this was reality and yelled at it in anger, "It's not fair!!! You were supposed to live!" He felt his heart sting as fell to his knees, "Oh Godyou were supposed to live" 

Through the tears that welled in his eyes he watched the fires burn. He wasn't going to go and check, he knew they were all dead. He felt the strength leave his legs, either from sorrow or the blood that continued to flow. "Gary, Reginalittle KatieThey're all gone" But before a single tear fell he saw a tall dark figure emerge from the flames, triggering a pure hatred he'd felt before only against Wesker.

"Murderer" Axl could feel the rage burn fiercely within him as he clenched his fists, giving back the energy lost. The black-plated monster he saw destroy the car walked from the intense heat virtually unscathed, followed by two T-002 Tyrants into clear view. 

Axl couldn't believe it. "It'sa Tyrant?" His eyes grew wide as he saw the Black Tyrant raise its arm, pointing right at him and heard a roar in a low, gurgling pitch that he had never heard before. The Tyrant to its right dashed forward, heading toward Axl.

"Itit commands other virals?! No! Nothing the T-Virus produces has the intelligence for such a thing! It can't be capable of complex thoughts!!" Axl rose quickly, his thoughts retracing the irregularities he'd witnessed. The mass of attacking zombies at the apartment, the coordinated attacks by the MA-121's, the command of the lesser TyrantThough he thought it impossible, that thing truly had power over the Viralsand could reason on its own.

Axl couldn't dwell on it for long as the Tyrant sent after him rapidly closed the distance between them. Axl glared, the memory of the family's death now burned into his heart. He took the Kalashnikov, leaving the strap over his shoulder, knowing his injuries would not permit him to hold it up with his own strength. He gripped the trigger with his right hand, holding the rifle steady with this left.

His emotion took second priority as he breathed in and remained cool while he watched the Tyrant approach. Axl waited, despite his nerves feeling shattered.

Knowing that he couldn't aim normally, he was forced to wait. It took everything he had to keep him from firing too early, especially because of the fears that came from his now weakened state. "Come oncome onNOW!" The Tyrant had come close enough for Axl to accurately shoot while holding his weapon as he was. He pulled the trigger back, letting loose a stream of bullet-fire, the rounds hitting a wide area on the Tyrant's torso and extremities as Axl himself stayed as unmoving as a rock. Even as the onslaught of lead shredded the Tyrant's flesh, it still ran undaunted at the injured Agent. Axl too, did not flinch as he held the trigger down. It was kill or be killed.

The Tyrant came closer and closer as the clip approached its last bullet. But just as Axl's weapon ran out of ammunition, the behemoth collapsed still in mid-run and fell with a sickly thud onto the concrete, sliding almost to Axl's feet, dead. 

Axl looked up from the dead viral to the Black Tyrant, who seemed to stare back, smiling from so far away. Axl was in no condition to fight, he had to escape now before it decided to come after him too - even if it meant he had to pass up on revenge, for now. With Rebecca still to save, now was no time for a personal vendetta. He shook his head while still holding his palm against the holes in his shoulder, trying to keep his thoughts straight.

Off by the tanker sat a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. It was a newer model, so Axl didn't recognize the exact type, but that didn't matter. Axl ran toward it, praying to God it had fuel. Once by the cycle, he placed his right hand on it and checked the fuel gauge. It was full, prompting him to beam despite the bleak situation.

"Well saints be praised, yes! Finally something goes my way!" He gave a weak arm pump, as he was still feeling the affects from the continuous loss of blood. Before he got on, he saw what the family had thrown out the window before they sped offRick's backpack.

Axl grabbed it and held it up. "They wanted me to have this" He closed his eyes and threw the strap over his uninjured shoulder. "I swear to avenge your death and succeed in this mission. By every ounce of strength, as long as there is a drop of blood in my body" He saw the Black Tyrant begin to move towards him, first walking, then breaking into a swift run. It was twice as fast as the other Tyrant, but Axl had enough time to get away as he jumped onto the cycle and revved it.

Axl then remembered what he was next to: A huge, 4,000 gallon tanker with probably the only gasoline left in the part of the city. 

He looked again to the Dark Tyrant and smiled. He took out one of his grenades and pulled the pin, dropping it at the base of the huge container for the fuel and raced down the street away from the Black Tyrant on his new Bike.

As he sped away, he looked over his shoulder to the tanker, the monster just reaching it. The grenade detonated, igniting the entire truck in a massive explosion, leveling everything in a huge radius. Axl faced forward again, knowing he'd have to get as far from there as possible and find a way to patch his wounds before he fell into a critical state. At least now, he was able to make up for lost time with his motorcycle. He gave a loud whoop and brought the rim of his hat down a bit more.

"Never fear, Miss Chambers. Your Knight has found his horse."

-

The King Tyrant only watched, its horrid face curling with what could be best described as a smile as the flames licked at its entire body. It had never known pain in its life, and learning was one if its main desires. Its body bled, cracked and open all over, but with the brain intact it knew it would survive. The King Tyrant waved one of his claws in the direction the V-Hunter went, making another noise as a signal. Following its motion, the hunters that had disappeared earlier emerged from their hiding places and ran down the street, chasing after Axl.

It spoke to itself in its own corrupt language, translating roughly into an interest in the challenge this human posed and how it will enjoy ending its life.


	10. Salvation

****

Chapter X: Salvation

Axl's vision blurred as he drove the motorcycle down the lonely road. Judging by the sun it was past three, and he had covered far more distance that he thought he would have by now. But the injury in his shoulder still bled, causing a steady pain to shoot through him as he continued, not to mention the weakness he felt from the unending loss of blood.

"Damn, if I don't get patched up soon I'll bleed to death long before I reach that prisonBut where the heck can I find" Axl felt dizzy, the motorcycle swayed a bit. Axl tried to maintain control, but still felt it slip away from him.

He slowed the motorcycle down but was unable to keep steady. He held on tightly as it fell onto its side, skidding against the pavement. He let go and dropped off it, rolling to a stop as the cycle went for another ten feet, grinding to a halt by a light post.

"Hell" He got up, his eyes feeling heavier and heavier by the moment, as did the gear and the backpack he still wore. The air felt colder, but more of an unnatural cold. He walked over to the cycle, but realized his condition was in reality far worse than he had guessed and leaned against the pole clutching his shoulder.

Axl closed his eyes and whispered in a form of prayer, "Don't let me die herethere's too much left for meIf I fail, more and more will lose their lives to the Virus" he opened his eyes slightly, the shadow of his hat protecting them from the sun's light. He spoke a little louder and a little less dramatic, a small smile on his face, "And it'd suck to die like this, there has to be some other way"

In his broken state he turned his head to the right, only to be hit with the glare of the sun's rays off a multi-colored surface, causing him lower his head to raise his arm to block it. He groaned as he peeked from under his hat back at it, and through the glare he saw what was bouncing the light.

Axl stood up straight and looked up at the grand tower of a large, white building topped by a cross over a huge stained-glass window in the Gothic-style architecture.

He smiled tiredly, "The Cathedral" With no other options in mind and his body now weary, he began to walk across the street toward the Church in the faint hope of finding sanctuary. His walk was wobbly and his eyes left half-open, but he kept going, as if he had no control over his actions. The smell of incense filled his nose; the holy aroma seemed to guide him to its main doors. He had to lean against the center metal railing up the stairs as he walked up.

The doors creaked as he pushed them open, swinging them just enough to allow him to slip through. They closed behind him as Axl stepped into the main aisle, his boots clicking on the floor of white marble against the sound of soft chants. The inside of the Cathedral was reddish-orange as the light entered through massive clear windows, mosaics of Catholic Saints adorning the walls below them as they watched over the empty Church. The walls reached a hundred feet to the ceiling, which was decorated with rows of electric chandeliers and Boroque architecture along the edges. The pews from the center of the Cathedral to the altar were intact and gleamed of a beautiful wood finish. However, as Axl looked to his left and right, he saw the pews alongside him were in disarray, many of them split or tipped over to form some sort of barricade.

Upon closer inspection, he saw several rifles strewn beneath them beside a number of empty clips. "Whathappened to the people here" His strength was about to give as he fell to his knees. He turned his head up toward the altar, seeing the giant Crucifix above it, with the image of Christ the moment after his passing hanging upon it. 

Axl stared, focusing the best he could on the wounds on the image and then checked his own. He chuckled, looking back to the Cross. "Well, I guess I can't complain The ultimate price in service to others, but from what I remember you suffered far worse than I have" The walls spun, but Axl did all he could to keep looking at the Cross. 

He continued to talk to the hanging image, as if he were speaking to someone he's known for years right in front of him, desperation in his voice, "Tell me, tell me how you did itI don't think I can keep going like thisI beg of you, give me just a little more time" The words hereafter formed were inaudible and at times did not make sense, but they made sense to him. He felt the life within him begin to drain.

Once Axl stopped mumbling to himself, he noticed below the cross someone in white kneeling while clutching a gold staff with a cross on it, holding it high toward the altar. In the quiet he could hear the man speaking in Latin, and Axl recognized the clothing and the prayers, identifying the man as a priest.

The priest looked back in a startled manner, thinking he had heard something and saw the tired and blood-soaked Axl collapse onto the ground. He rose from his place and gasped, "Oh my God!" Axl had passed out once again.

-

"thy will be done, on earth" Axl's eyes opened slowly to the sound of the prayer. He sat up and held his aching head, moving his hand over his face to brush off the sleep and looked around, seeing he was in front of the altar in the Church. He then remembered his injury, but felt no pain now. He checked his shoulder under his clothes; there wasn't even a trace of blood on his overshirt. Beside him was a used can of First Aid Spray.

"Ok, what in the hell? What happened?" Axl checked his watch, it was 4:30. He then reached for the weapons on his back, finding that they had been removed. He only had his Revolver. But before Axl could react to this alarming turn of events, he heard a voice.

"Oh, good! You're awake, I didn't think you'd be up so early! It's by the grace of God you stumbled in here, you would have died for sure if you had kept bleeding like that!"

Axl couldn't see the man, but wasn't apprehensive. If it were an enemy, they'd have killed him by now. Even so, he'd stay on his guard. "Yeah, I knowwho are you and where are my weapons?" Axl saw a tall, thin man in a black garment with a white collar walk in front of him from behind the altar. He had white hair, glasses, and a noticeable Irish accent. It was the priest he saw before he had passed out.

The priest smiled, "I am Father Michael O'Brien. This is Eagle Point Cathedral, I've been its pastor for almost ten years now. I put your weapons away, they're safe."

"WellIt's nice to meet you," Axl looked down the aisle to the destroyed pews and motioned to them with a nod. "What happened here? There looks to be signs of a battle. Are there any people here other than you?"

The priest walked over and sat by Axl. He looked down, but still spoke in a semi-cheery voice, even though Axl could tell from his expression that it was a bad memory. "A few days ago when all the people started to becomezombies, the entire city fell into chaos. Almost everywhere you looked, people were dying or becoming monsters."

Axl nodded silently. This tragedy was played out over and over throughout the history of the virus, tests for the B.O.W.'s and experiments on the effects of the weapon.

The priest continued, "Only a handful of people came to seek refuge in the Church. They had survived only because they had weaponry, and still they lost many family and friends on the way. Mothers who lost their children, fathers whose entire families were devoured before them, children orphaned who carried their younger siblings on their backs" Michael noticed Axl's movement in the corner of his eye, something seemed wrong.

Axl shuddered, his heart feeling a tight grip over it. The images of his own past flashed before him, from his childhood to this mission, causing him to feel a horrible pain, though it was far different than the stab-wound he had sustained before. He fell forward slightly, holding his stomach with a blank stare. He could still remember the screams of all those innocent people so clearly 

O'Brien had stopped as he saw Axl visibly in pain, "I should stop, you must still not be well, my son."

"No! Please, I want to know what happened here!" Axl looked at him, his face sincere, "Tell me" Axl regained his composure again, he had to stop letting his memories affect him like this.

Father O'Brien sighed and looked back to the pews, "The pews before you were a last stand between those survivors and the legions of monsters that came through those doors. After a half-hour, they ran out of bulletsand they were overrun. I was the only one to survive, I had been tending to the dying in the room behind the crucifix."

Axl spoke up, "But, wouldn't they have still smelled you or found you while still searching for morefood?" Axl cringed for having to use the word, but that was the simple truth.

The priest looked at him, his eyes still held a warm, caring sparkle. "My son, I'm not sure of what happened." He stood up and took the cross-staff that rested on top of the altar. Axl noticed dried blood on its ends. "I had to fight several on my own, it took a long time and I nearly passed out from the exhaustion, but before I gave up, the surviving monsters simply stopped attacking and left. It was a miracle," he laughed grimly and forced a smile, "and it is a miracle you found this place! When you had passed out we thought it was too late to save you. Even if you lived, you might have been infected by the virus and still be lost. After I washed the blood from your clothes"

Despite his behavior, Axl had not let down his guard, still ready for anything. Axl became suspicious, looking at the priest and getting his hand ready to grab his .357 "How did you know it was a virus that caused all this, and what do you mean we'?" 

The priest's face became solemn as he looked at Axl who still sat on the ground. He thought to himself, "This boy has seen much fighting, I can see it in the way he acts." He took a deep breath and motioned Axl to follow him.

"Come with me my son, there is one other you must see."

Axl got up, keeping his hand on his weapon. He followed the priest into a back room behind the altar. The door opened inward smoothly, a rush of cool, damp air brushing past Axl as he stepped in before the priest. Axl saw what was so special about the room, and drew his pistol. "What in the _hell_ is this?!"

In the center of the room, lit by a lone light bulb hanging from the ceiling, lay the corpse of a human atop a large wood table; a yellowed, blood-stained blanket over its lower half. The make-shift paper shade on the bulb focused the light in the darkened room onto the body; Axl could recognize the last stages of infection on the body, which was covered in severe rot on its neck, arms, and anything else not concealed by its torn, loose-fitting shirt. On its head, the right cheek had fallen off and the eyes were beginning to glaze.

Axl felt disgusted as the smell of death replaced the incense of the main church. He moved a few more steps from the door and turned to face the priest, aiming his gun at him. "This is sick, why did you bring me here? You had best answer all of my questions, Padre." The priest was speechless as he stared down the barrel of the magnum pointing at his chest.

From behind, Axl heard several gasps and looked over his shoulder. The zombie coughed and began to move, sprawling on the table. Axl placed his right foot forward and retrained his weapon on the viral.

"Stand back, it's still alive!" The priest ran and placed his hands over the gun, trying to stop Axl. Axl pushed him aside with his left arm and aimed at the zombie's torso. "Damn it, what is wrong with you? Let me kill it!"

"Please, my child! This man saved you!" cried the priest on the floor. Axl lowered his weapon and faced him again, disbelieving.

"What do you mean, it saved me'? It's a mindless killer, it has to die!"

"The man on the table has been infected severely for a long time, I've been caring for him till he passes! When you collapsed, he brought the last of his medical supplies out to you and used his knowledge to heal your injuries. He may look like one of them, but for the love of God he still has his soul!"

Axl looked at the priest and back to the zombie, still sprawling as if it were in pain. It convulsed as the virus ate at its mind and body, driving the poor soul mad. Still, he had to be careful, it was infected and extremely dangerous.

The priest spoke more calmly between breaths now that Axl had stood down, "He used the last of his strength to save you instead of resting to continue fighting the virus which torments him this very moment. Please, don't kill him"

The infected man stopped convulsing, laying back down onto the table as it still gasped for air. Axl walked over to it, ready to use his weapon but leaving it in his hand at his side. It looked at him through the thin white membrane developing over its eyes. As Axl looked into them, he saw the sadness and helplessness in them. He felt pity for the man whose humanity was still trapped inside.

Axl spoke to the priest, looking right back at it. "What is his name"

To Axl's surprise, it answered in a scratchy, exhausted voice, "Marrrtin" The zombie's breathing slowed and it closed its eyes. 

Father O'Brien walked over and put his hand on Axl's shoulder, "Martin is asleep now. We'll return later when he can speak more clearly. He's been through so much these past weekseven standing has become far too difficult, and each waking moment he suffers."

Axl didn't move, still beside the man on the table, staring at his face. "This virusbrings only suffering"

Something else then caught his attention, though he remained still to not give himself away. A torn nametag hung from the zombie's shirt, a faded Umbrella logo still visible on it. Axl knew what it meant and thought to himself, "Perhaps I _should_ wait for him to rest, he may know something"


	11. Atonement

****

Chapter XI: Atonement

The minutes passed slowly in the Church, the light grew dimmer as the day inevitably began to give way to night. Axl had been sitting on the step in front of the altar the entire time, keeping his thoughts to himself while the Priest, Father O'Brien, went back and forth throughout the Cathedral constantly mumbling prayers in Latin that Axl couldn't understand. At times the priest asked Axl if he wished to join him in prayer, but each time Axl refused. There was too much on his mind.

In the mean time, Axl had taken the time to check his inventory and get his gear ready, placing his weapons back in their rightful places. They felt a bit lighter on his back than they had a little while ago, but he guessed it had something to do with his now healed wounds.

"All right, I've still got plenty of magnum rounds but I'm getting low on clips for my AK-47." He grabbed the backpack he had left beside him and opened it up, taking out a box of shotgun shells. He took his Benelli, set it on his lap and began loading it. "That zombie in the backhe's a damned Umbrella scientist. I don't know what kind of information I can gather from him, though. Damn it, I wish I had grabbed that nametag, at least then I might have an idea what he'd knowDamn it!" He set the last cartridge in and locked it into place. He checked the gun over and placed it on his back. Axl scanned the Cathedral, the light of the fading day gave the building the feeling of a safe haven. He thought aloud again, watching the sun through the stained glass. "I don't even know if I can control myself when I speak to this guy"

The priest walked from the door to the back room and stood next to Axl, looking down on him. Axl looked back up, tilting his hat up so he could look at the priest's face. The Priest nodded, "Martin is awake now, we can talk to him."

Axl half-smiled and stood up, "Well it's about time, I've been waiting a good forty-five minutes! I was guessin' he'd died or something."

"Please don't joke about such things, that is very inappropriate!" The priest gave him a scolding look, but Axl shrugged and walked past him. 

"Whatever, I don't mean to be disrespectful or anything, but I've been through a heck of a lot today." He scratched the back of his head, "Sorry, I guess it's how I handle things. I just hope this wasn't a waste." He opened the door and looked back to the priest, "Let me speak to him alone, there are a few things I'd like to sort out." Without hearing the Priest's consent he walked inside and shut the door.

-

The zombie had not moved from the table, but Axl could see its chest rise and fall as it breathed under the warm glow of the light above. He walked over and looked, seeing its eyes were open, staring blankly toward the ceiling. Axl didn't say a word as he gazed at it, not knowing what to expect.

Martin spoke first, breathing heavily but managing to speak fairly clearly. "It'sYou are a Viral Hunter?" His clarity surprised Axl, and his observation even more so.

Axl responded to the point, "Yes, I'm an agent for the Viral Hunters. How'd you know that?"

Martin smiled and breathed out, sounding to Axl like a long, weak laugh. "It's not a usual sight to see a boy your age carrying so many weapons, even in a place like this."

"And you've heard of us from Umbrella, the company you worked for. We've destroyed countless specimens and outbreaks you people have unleashed."

"I did hear about you from Umbrella, of the organization that sabotaged our work and destroyed out labs and sites, even murdered our scientists." It took a breath, "How I've hated your kind since I first knew of your existence"

Axl smiled vindictively, "You know, it's poetic justice, a scientist infected by his own disease." He leaned closer, "Let me make this clear, you deserve to die, as does every last person who works to create such a vile thing. Your virus has killed so many, and you dare speak to _me_ about murder? I want to know, how _dare_ you say something like that to me." Martin tried to say something in return, but Axl continued, pacing along the table and pointing at him, "No! It doesn't matter if you saved my life, it is because of you that this town is dead! If it weren't for Umbrella, this world would be a far better place and this hell on earth would never have existed!"

The zombie remained silent for a moment, still breathing heavily, "I had no partUmbrella had nothing to do with this outbreak, I was caught unaware. I'm not sure what happened, but I didn't want this"

Axl was still furious at the infected man, "What did you want then, to be told when to flee? How many people were given that luxury in the past?" he stopped himself, closing his mouth tightly. He paused for a moment and spoke in a less angered tone, "This is pathetic. I don't have to tell you anything, all you have to do is look outside."

"I realize nowI know you are trying to make things right, that is why I used up the last of my strength to save you. I don't expect mercy or pity, just please know that I understand nowand I am sorry."

"You're sorry?" Axl couldn't take this, he could hardly contain his anger at this man. He drew his revolver and pointed it at its head as he stared coldly with piercing eyes. "A hell of a lot of good that does! Sorry will not bring back the dead! Tell me what you know about what happened to this town, I want answers. I'm trying to save people here, and if you help maybe then you can atone for your sins. If you truly feel remorse-"

Martin nearly jumped, but his muscles were still recovering from earlier. He shouted, "I told you, I had nothing to do with this! I didn't want this to happen, not to anyone!" He calmed and turned his head, facing away from Axl. Axl could hear him begin to sob, though it did not sound genuinely human. "I swear to you, I did all I could to try and save these people, but by the time I found out, it was too late. I don't understand how the virus could appear so suddenly and affect so many at the same time."

Axl listened intently, but kept the weapon trained on the infected scientist. "What do you mean, how did it spread so quickly? Wouldn't there be signs or stages of its spread, before the outbreak became critical?"

"Iam too weakmy mind is fading, I cannot think anymore" The zombie pointed toward an old, beat up cabinet in the corner of the room, but Axl didn't understand.

It was obvious that the outburst of emotion from the both of them was draining the infected man, his voice was becoming weaker, "Myit will explain" he whispered. Axl glanced back at the cabinet, but before he went to look Martin gasped suddenly and began to twist and turn, crying out sharply in torment, drawing Axl's attention back to him.

"Dear God" Axl's expression hardened, his face cold and grim as he lowered his .357. Martin's breathing was beginning to become more sporadic. He closed his eyes as the pain of the virus devouring him nearly doubled. Axl placed his gun back as he saw his face contort harshly; he really was going through hell. Axl knew it wasn't long before he made a complete transformation. There was no need to be angry with him any longer.

As Axl remained silent, watching him writhe in agony, he could hear Martin whispering.

"the Black Tyrant"

Axl heard something by the window high in the corner of the room and saw movement outside. The thicket of dense leaves shifted back and forth through the dirty glass, their dried branches scratching the windowpane. He turned back to Martin, speaking straightforwardly. "There is no need to worry about it any more, I killed it."

Martin opened his eyes half-way and looked into Axl's own. "Noyou couldn't have killed it"

Axl felt his heart beat faster as the sentence worried him. "What do you mean, it couldn't have survived. Nothing could survive that explosion." He did his best to conceal the worry in his voice.

The zombie spoke quickly, as if his breath would give out at any time. It turned its head to face the window, "Did you hear the noise outside? Thosewhere hunters." Axl squinted as he listened. "They know you are here, and He knows you are hereThe hunters have been told to go ahead of you and await your arrival at the prison."

Axl unknowingly stepped back, his anxiety taking hold. "W-what do you mean, how do you know all that?"

Martin turned back and faced Axl once more, pointing to its head, "I hear Him, even now. He can speak to anything infected and order it, only I can fight it because I still have my will powerIt's so hard, I can feel his control over me increase as each second passes He's waiting for you and has told the other Virals to let you pass. The girl is being used as bait, it is a trap"

Axl closed his fists tightly as he looked down, his emotions shifting between despair and anger as he spoke aloud to himself, "It's impossible! It couldn't have survived that explosion" He tossed his hat to the floor, "Damn it, it really is hopelesshow can I fight something like that, I don't even know exactly what that freakin' thing is!"

Martin was really getting worse with each passing moment. He whispered while trying to control himself, "Genesis"

Axl shook his head, confused, "Genesis? What is Genesis'?"

Axl saw Martin's hand grip the edge of the table, causing him stepping backwards at the sudden movement. Martin looked at him and spoke, trying to speak through the pain. "It believes itself to be a god, destined to destroy, infect, and *gck* rule all He constantly speaks of the death of the old God in place of himself on the throne of creationYou have to stop it!" 

Axl stood quietly, unable to even think with his eyes wide open. He mumbled, staring at nothing, "I can't, I can't" His mind was blank; he didn't understand the whole biblical thing mentioned, but it seemed that with a monster as powerful as that he could do nothing to stop it. If there were no way to fight back, the world as he knew it would end. He only regained his grip on reality as Martin broke him from his daze, clutching his arm.

"There is one thing" Axl regained his senses as Mr. Harrison continued, "Itit fears you"

Axl looked again at Martin, "What?"

"It refers to you as an Archangel, believing you were sent by the old God to stop him. As it watched you through the eyes of the virals you've slain, it could see your own strength and ability. It fears you like nothing else, driving it mad with terror. That is why it wants to kill you and knows it must fight you itself to do it."

Axl's heart regained some of the hope it had lost for only a moment, but his face was serious. It was still a powerful creature, it didn't matter if it were scared or not. However, as a sentient being, if Axl could cast doubt over it, he might have a chance.

Martin was now feeling extremely weak, he could not keep up speaking for much longer but managed to smile. "Itis weakened, your first attack was not in vainthe armored plates have been damaged, it may be susceptible to armor-piercing bullets."

"Wait, the plates can be pierced by armor-piercing rounds?"

Martin nodded and Axl literally jumped with joy, the rest of his hope crashing back into him all at once, "Yes! I have armor-piercing rounds! My AK-47 is designed to fire that type of bullet and I have a clip of them with me!" He took out a clip with a red piece of tape on the bottom of it, making sure he had it. "And my magnum can crack the engine block of a Buick!"

Axl smiled, the rest of his success could ride on his skills with his weaponry. He felt there was still hope, as long as he could injure it he stood a chance. But despite his firepower, he prayed he had enough to stop it.

"It is up to you, V-Hunter, you have to end this now. If you don't strike now, while it is vulnerable, you won't get another chance. If that thing survives, life as we know it will no longer be."

Axl nodded firmly, "I understand. It looks like I have a second objective now. There is no time to waste here anymore." He bowed his head slightly, "I'll take my leave." He swiftly walked over to the door and placed his hand on the knob. "If you ask meyou've been forgiven for your sins." He didn't look up from the handle. "All you needed was to be shown the consequences of evil, in a way the suffering has cleansed you, a purification with fire, so to speak. I don't know how you got mixed up with Umbrella, butIf you believe in God, I hope he shows you mercy when you die."

"Waita final favor"

Axl let go of the knob and turned to look back at the zombie on the table.

"PleaseI can't let her see me like this, I can't become one of them"

The image of Axl lingered in the shadows of the room, not making a noise. This was not the first time he had been asked to do this.

"I can't resist it any more"

"Do you know what you are asking?"

"Yes, I do kill me, before it's too late, before I am no longer human"

Axl tilted his hat lower. He walked back to Harrison slowly, removing his revolver from its holster once more. As he stopped, he aimed the barrel a few inches from the zombie's head. His voice too had grown a bit shaky, "Please reconsider"

Martin looked at it and back at Axl. He felt his muscles could no longer permit him to rise so he lay limply on the table, speaking as well as he could. "I only wish I could have seen her one more timePlease don't feel regret, there is no time left for that. Know you have saved me and I can finally be free." He smiled, and despite his mutilated condition, it actually looked human. He closed his eyes and took in his final breath.

Axl did not tear his gaze away, focusing on Martin's head. He had to fulfill the duty set before him. "Vaya con el Dios." 

He pulled the trigger.


	12. Revelation

****

Chapter XII: Revelation

Wesker kept watch on the stacks of monitors lining the walls in his private room, viewing the feeds from all over the city, the only light coming from the screens themselves. The destruction caused by the two V-Hunters to the B.O.W.'s really had been beyond what he had thought it would be, but he was not worried. He knew the V-Hunters had powerful operatives, and the sooner they sent them the faster he would finally be rid of them. This trap was important, if he couldn't weaken their numbers now his other plans may be in jeopardy. 

He laughed, "What could such a race produce that could defeat my virus? Nothing, that is what. Do you understand, Adam?" he motioned to the screens, images of the Cathedral being broadcast on them, "You are above these undeveloped and fragile weaklings. Never forget your birthright, to rule all creation. They are of the dying breed."

The King Tyrant walked from the darkened side of the room and stood next to Wesker. It mumbled something in its own tongue.

Wesker looked up to it, "The rogue B.O.W. in the Cathedral is deceased? Tell me, were you able to gain full control before the Agent arrived?"

It made another noise, lower and briefer than before.

Wesker faced back to the monitors, no change in his voice. "Then the infected scientist could have given away your weaknesses. The Archangel you speak of may learn of ways to stop you now; this we cannot allow. You are the most important part in the new beginning, with your death we would just be plunging the world into another chaos. Do you understand?"

The King Tyrant nodded, though it felt disappointed that it would not be able to fight the Archangel again. 

"With your link to the B.O.W., it would have known of the trap and warned him, but think no more of it, the Agent will still come for Miss Chambers. We just need to expand on it more." Wesker pressed the intercom button, "Report in here immediately, I have new orders."

The door opened smoothly, the white light from the hall pouring in as another soldier in black stepped into the room. He saluted as the door closed on its own behind him. The King Tyrant glared at the man, who did his best to not notice the eight-foot tall monster, "What is it, Captain Wesker?" A cold sweat began to form on his head, the mere presence of the Tyrant was terrifying. Wesker had taken a moment to pause and observe the soldier's reaction.

"There have been a change in plans, we can't risk the Viral Hunters advancing any closer. Deploy the Stealth Hawk to intercept the First immediately."

"Yes sir! It will be ready in one minute!" The soldier saluted again and left swiftly, not wanting to be anywhere near that thing.

"One more thing, soldier." Wesker's voice stopped the man in his tracks, "I want you to deactivate all radio communication within the prison."

The soldier looked puzzled, "Sir? Why would you want do disable our communications?"

Through his sunglasses the soldier could see Wesker's eyes glow a blood red, his voice becoming angry, "Are you questioning my orders? Turn them off and don't breathe another word about it."

"Yes sir!" He nearly slammed the door behind him as he ran to the communications room.

Wesker smiled, "Adam, I do believe the mercenaries have lost their usefulness; like the rest of their pathetic kind, they too shall be purged from the earth. Order our hunters to kill the ones inside the compound, I grow sick of human stench. Just don't harm Rebecca Chambers, and wait until the Hawk has been deployed."

The King Tyrant smiled as well, making a low laughing noise. 

Turning back to face the monitors, Wesker felt a sick sense of satisfaction in his orders. "Remember to study how your prey reacts to being hunted, I assure you the pure rush of the kill is only the tip of the iceberg compared to the taste of fear and despair."

-

Axl stood beside the headless corpse, it had been a clean shot. Every time he was asked to carry out a mercy kill, it left him feeling empty and regretful, despite knowing full well what would have been if he had not intervened. However, that thought never made it any easier, the fact he took the life of something even remotely human outside of a battlefield. He couldn't even distance himself from the moment, he felt empathy for those who suffered, and so he felt the full weight of the moment. He moved his finger off the trigger and onto the trigger guard, so as to not discharge his weapon again by accident.

The door swung open, Father Michael stood in the doorway, his eyes alight with fear. "What happened?! I heard gunfire!" he saw the body of Martin over a pool of blood on the table and instantly knew. He looked up slowly from the corpse to Axl in anger, who hadn't even turned to look from the body to acknowledge him. "How could you do such a thing, the man saved your life!"

"And I saved him." replied Axl, coldly. He remembered the journal, so he walked over to the old cabinet in the corner and examined the old padlock on the doors.

"Don't you understand what you've done? You've murdered an innocent man!" The priest walked over to Axl by the corner.

Axl turned his head slightly to speak to the priest, "Don't you realize I know what I've done? Damn it, Padre! The man was in agony and was going to become a zombie if I hadn't done it!" He took his pistol and struck the rusted padlock off with the revolver's handle. "He wanted to die with his conscious mind intact and too have his last thoughts be his own. I had to give him that, at least."

The priest's expression eased, perhaps this was not the time to judge actions. This boy knew more about the evils of the T-Virus than he did, and despite the redeeming factor of suffering no one deserves to be robbed of their humanity by anything. Axl was checking the contents of the cabinet.

Axl removed a book within, the brown, hard-cover binding slightly worn on its folds from constantly being opened. Axl checked the book over and saw several pages had been marked with torn pieces of cloth. He looked back into the cabinet, but nothing else inside seemed to be of any use, just a few photos of a woman with light skin chestnut hair in an elegant dress at some party. Nothing special.

He checked the book's cover, wiping the dust it had collected away and looked back up to the priest. "I think you should give him his last rites, I'll leave you here. Take as much time as you need." The priest nodded and Axl walked to the door.

-

Axl sat in one of the front pews, just looking at the book without opening it. "I wonder what it'll tell meonly one way to find out!" He opened the journal to one of the marked pages and read to himself. The date was from over week ago.

__

By now the entire city is infected, monsters roam the streets everywhere. I tried to help evacuate anyone not infected, but no one can escape due to the quarantine; they'd turn us back or have us shot, leaving us all in this city like mice trapped to be fed to the snakes. The survivors banded together and tried to fight their way out, but the monsters found ways to break our defenses. Then the Black Tyrant appeared and that was the beginning of the endIt's like nothing I've seen before, seemingly controlling the B.O.W.'s to hunt us down like animals. I must stop writing for now, what little time I do have is better spent on running as they may find us at any moment. I'll head to the Church, there we may be able to hold out long enough.

Axl sighed, "I already know about this." He flipped a few pages, but all of the recent entries described what happened to the town and things on the Black Tyrant Axl had already seen before with his own eyes. "Wait, this looks interesting, this looks like the start of the virus's spread."

__

Of all my research and knowledge of the virus, I have never seen anything like this. There is no possible way it could have spread over such a wide area like this in so short a time without warning. While working in the hospital, I noticed the cases of viral infection started with a large number of people, about 40% of the populace on the first day alone - a number far too high for just the start of an outbreak. The hospital was flooded with people just showing signs of infection, but it didn't make sense. After only three days, almost the entire city was contaminated. 

But what I don't understand is how it could have spread so fast! Even from a large source, it doesn't start out so strong so quickly. Usually outbreaks occur in stages, with only a small number falling ill before the infection rate increases exponentially. If this were so, I would have been able to detect the presence of the T-Virus far earlier than this. It was as if the virus waited for the right time, spreading first before beginning the mutation process Already the military has surrounded the city, declaring a quarantine; but they don't look like normal US military. All communications to the outside are down. We've been getting broadcasts from an officer who claims to be from the government in charge of the containment, driveling something about fuel burning as the cause - but I know the truth. Something is very wrong here. However, the dilemma is if I reveal it to be a virus they will know I have connections to Umbrella and learn about our B.O.W.'s project, but if I remain silent no one will get out of here alive. We need to get out, before it's too late. I only hope there is enough time for my information to help. Everyone must know.

"It spread and waited? What the hell" Axl checked over the passage again, he had read it right. With what he had seen so far, the information was correct. The T-Virus must have spread rapidly, fast enough to catch almost the entire population in the outbreak before they could react. Axl sat, trying to make connections. 

"Could they have developed a faster way for the virus to spread, and Eagle Point was just a test run? The quarantine must have been a way to keep the people in and cut off the city from the rest of the world – damn it, Wesker's too crafty. These people were just lab rats in a cage"

There was one mark left in the journal, Axl eagerly turned the pages to some of the earlier parts of the book. The pages here had a lot more scientific data, Axl realized this was once Mr. Harrison's record for his findings as well as his personal journal. The date on the top of the page was dated nearly fifteen years ago. 

__

At last! We've found an advanced form of the Tyrant Virus that's been worked on for so long a time! It was by a slim margin that our team discovered this new strain, it was found in one of the experimental animals we had been administering new catalyst agents to. To think, we nearly destroyed the specimen before we even knew what we had! Though an isolated case, it was truly a marvel beyond belief! The subject showed an unnatural growth intelligence and strength, as well as enhanced speed and agility in a matter of days. Further testing showed that its tissue regeneration was phenomenal as it could heal from a single gunshot wound on its own in under twenty-four hours. The animal itself maintained its original form. Over time, it grew protective black plates which were able to withstand any trauma besides that from the most powerful weapons or the most severe heat or cold. Sarah only joked by naming it the Genesis' of a new age of bio organic weaponry, but we have decided to officially name it the Genesis Strain, as the host seemed to have been recreated entirely. This is only the summary of what we have discovered so far, there are far more tests to conduct to which I will note later in this journal for personal use.

"So, Genesis' is a new strain of the Tyrant VirusWesker must have found out about it and used it to create that Tyrant! No wonder it was different, it's a mutated form of the virus! If he puts the Genesis into mass production, no angel born in hell could match himHe'd dominate the field of bio-weaponry!" It was time to roll. Axl shut the book with a snap, but noticed a piece of paper as it fell from its bindings. He picked it up off the floor. "Wait, what the heck is this" There was no date and the handwriting was nearly illegible.

__

To whom ever finds this journal:

Please forgive my past mistakes. I hope whatever you find in this may help you survive and perhaps to put an end to the Tyrant Virus for good. It has come to my knowledge that none other than Albert Wesker, who betrayed my team and stole the new strain, caused this outbreak. Now, he has created a B.O.W. from the Genesis, one of unimaginable capability. A creature that not only is stronger and more resilient than we are, but can also think like usPlease, if you find this in good health then I beg you to look for my wife. Though the streets are swarmed with monsters I know in my heart she is still alive. If you see her, tell her I love her and that I stayed alive this long in the hope I would see her again, and get he out alive safely.

Sincerely, Martin J. Harrison

"A request from beyond the grave; yeah, that's fair." Axl crumbled the note and threw it aside, "I can't fulfill every promise and there's no chance I can waste time on another search and rescue." Axl saw the priest leave the back room. "Now what should I do about himI can't take him with me, it'd slow me downbut I can't just leave him here. Oh what the hell, I can carry more people on my bike."

Axl ran up to the steps to the altar and stopped before Michael. "All right Padre, we're leaving."

The priest smiled, "I'm sorry, I can't leave."

"What?! There's no time to joke around, we need to leave right now!"

"My son, this is the House of God. I can't leave it, I've tended to so many here. You don't know the memories I've had just helping the faithful in life. I cannot leave this sacred house to the monsters."

"Oh good God! What is it with you people and wanting to die where you stand? Drop the good shepherd act! You can't do any more good here!"

"There is no reason for me to leave." The priest sighed and looked to his hands. He then grabbed a piece of his skin and pulled it off. He showed it to Axl, so there was no confusion. 

Axl gasped, "You'reinfected too?"

"I don't see what's so amazing, I've been tending to those dying from the virus this entire time. I'm not surprised, really."

Axl remembered the Virus scanner given to him at the beginning of the mission and grabbed the priest's arm. He jabbed the opening of the gun and pulled the trigger, collecting a sample. The screen on top read positive.

"You see my son, we all have our callings, and mine was to comfort those who were suffering in death. Yours, however, is to save those suffering in life. Go, I'll be fine."

Axl gritted his teeth and heaved a sigh through them, "This isn't fair, you're a good man."

"My reward waits in heaven, go in peace."

Axl turned and walked down the steps of the altar onto the main aisle. The priest turned and looked to his old seat beneath the cross and smiled, deciding finally that there he would sit and wait for his own passing.

"Hey, one more thing." Axl's voice called Father Michael's attention back to him and barely caught the shotgun thrown at him. The priest looked at it and back to Axl, who stood smiling back at him.

"Benelli twelve gauge tactical shotgun, it holds seven shells in the holding compartment and one in the chamber. Just in case any of those freaks dare defile God's house. There are extra shells in the backpack, say a prayer for Rick and his family for me." He winked and turned away, resuming his walk down the aisle.

The priest watched as Axl headed for the door. He shouted to the youth, "Night approaches my son, be careful!"

Axl's walk unbroken as didn't bother looking back. Even so, he knew Axl was smiling, ready for anything coming his way, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for He is at my side."

-

The street lights provided the only light on the moonless night as Axl drove down the street. The cold air was brisk and refreshing, and the dead silence of the still town was so peaceful it was like passing through a dream. But Axl hadn't been paying attention to the scenery, he was almost there.

"Only a half-mile to the prison; God, it seems like an eternity since this mission started." He increased his speed, the engine roaring on the dimly lit street. He could see the huge complex in the distance. Axl laughed and popped a wheelie, cruising down the road.

Without warning, the street lights shut down, casting Axl in total darkness. The only light now came from the headlight on his motorcycle and faint light from the stars. Something was happening, and Axl didn't like it. He listened intently as he concentrated on the road.

"Whatis that noise?" Through the rumble of the engine he could hear a steady beat, though it was extremely low and he couldn't tell where it was coming from. He looked around him, but both the streets and the sky were dark. "Better get ready, who knows what could be out here"

His thoughts were shattered as the sound of machinegun fire drowned out all other noises. He saw the flashes of bullets hitting the pavement, heading in succession towards him. 

"Jesus!" At the last second he jumped from his bike into the air and looked down just in time to see the line of fire pass through the motorcycle, blowing it up. 

Axl landed on the pavement upright, kneeling down to absorb the fall as he touched down. Before he looked up from the ground, a bright light flashed into his eyes from above as a torrential wind blew past him. It was a helicopter.

"Oh, this just keeps getting better and better." Axl held his hat down, keeping it from blowing off his head as he tried to stand against the wind. The spotlight was shut off and Axl could hear the soft beat of the blades rise higher into the air. It was going to make its attack run.


End file.
